The Butterfly's Shadow
by theatrics
Summary: Kate had always been invisible. Beth had always been misunderstood. They were about to discover themselves in each other.
1. Maybe It Came Unexpected

**This will be my first (and most likely only, haha) full-length story. This story is completely AU (alternate universe). Basically, it would be easiest if you forget that the movie even exists, as this is as though it never happened. That said, enjoy!**

**As always, this is dedicated to my beautiful, perfect, and _amazing_ girlfriend, Tracy. I love you with all that I am, my darling, and I always, always will. This is for you.**

* * *

"Kate!" Lori Spencer called her daughter's name from downstairs. "You're going to be late."

"I'm never late!" Kate countered, with a good-natured roll of her eyes. It was her first day at Forest Hills High School, and she already had an hour to spare. The school was a mere ten minutes from her house. Kate was hardly worried.

Snatching up her backpack, she slung it absentmindedly over her shoulder, and then emerged from her room, shutting the door behind her. Kate thumped down the stairs, her mind at complete ease at the idea of attending another high school.

"I'm ready, Mom," Kate smiled to her mother and shook her head, as she reached for an apple from the bowl in the center of the kitchen table.

"It's your first day," Lori began, beaming. "Ready to give 'em the ol' Spencer charm?" She teased affectionately, as she rubbed her daughter's back with her hand.

"Mom," Kate laughed softly. "I've done this so many times. I doubt there's any of that 'ol' Spencer charm' left."

"Oh, yeah?" Lori grinned. "I don't think so. Where do you think you get your looks from, huh?" She winked as she cleaned off a plate beneath the running water of the sink.

Kate groaned playfully and took a bite out of her fresh, red apple.

"Can we _please_ not go down this road again?" She echoed her mother's grin. "I'd really like to get to school on time."

"Kate Emily Spencer, are you saying I'm conceited?" Lori feigned disbelief and hurt.

"No," Kate shook her head, smiling all the while. "Of course not."

The two shared a laugh, and then talked idly while Kate finished off her apple.

"So, what classes are you taking, again?" Lori wondered distractedly.

"Mom," Kate chuckled. "we've been through this."

"Yeah, I know," She smiled. "I just can't believe you're seventeen already."

"I _just_ turned seventeen, Mom."

"But, now you're almost eighteen!"

"Please don't get all," She wiggled her fingers, forming air-quotes. "_sentimental_. I don't think I can handle it, Mom. It's way too early."

"Okay, okay," Lori chuckled and shook her head.

There was silence for a moment as Kate tossed her apple core into the nearby waste bin. She looked up toward her mother, blinking. Lori merely smiled.

"Hey, kiddo," She grinned and wrapped her arm around her daughter warmly. "Have a good day, okay? No picking fights on your first day. Deal?"

Kate smiled, returning the hug that her mother offered.

"I'll do my best," She nodded and snatched her makeshift handbag from the kitchen counter. "Later, Mom!" Kate called the words as she slipped out the front door.

"'Bye, honey."

* * *

It was first block U.S. Government—one of Kate's least favorite classes. It was a complete and total bore. The idea of discussing how the government worked hardly provided her mind any stimulus whatsoever.

"Kate Spencer," Mrs. Johnson sounded irritated as she called on her student. "I'm glad that your first day with us has brought with it such rousing festivities," She pushed her glasses down on the bridge of her nose. "Would you care to join us?"

"I-I… I'm really sorry, Mrs. Johnson," Kate mumbled awkwardly, her cheeks hot with embarrassment. All eyes were on her. She wanted to sink into her seat and just fade away. However, after the initial giggles and smirks passed, Kate found herself back to her typical state of outward indifference.

Silently steadying her swiftly beating heart, she glanced around, curious about the rest of the class. They appeared equally bored. Most were texting or mouthing various things to each other. Kate cleared her throat softly, and then brushed her fingers through her blond hair.

Suddenly she felt at a loss. She was senior now. Never before had she been forced to go to a new school where it was her final year of attendance. How was she supposed to bond with anyone when she was a wayward senior, anyway?

Her eyes clumsily fell on the form of a brunette across the room, scribbling away with a light-up pen on her loose leaf paper. Tilting her head slightly, she watched her, bored, before the girl abruptly glanced up and caught Kate's awkward gaze. Immediately, Kate looked away, afraid of the girl's reaction.

Though, after a moment, when Kate side-glanced the nameless girl again, she was back to doodling. Sighing, Kate began to tap the eraser-end of her pencil against the top of her desk.

Pursing her lips, she exhaled heavily, completely unaware that her teacher was standing mere inches from her desk.

"_Miss Spencer_," The teacher called sharply, her eyes blazing directly through Kate.

Snapping to attention immediately, Kate stared at her teacher, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"S-sorry! I just… I—"

"I do hope that this will not become a habit, Miss Spencer."

"N-no… no, Mrs. Johnson! I just… I'm… Your lesson is so intense!" Kate blurted the words out while her ill-intentioned classmates looked on and snickered.

Mrs. Johnson quirked one of her eyebrows.

"Really, Miss Spencer? Because I haven't even begun. We were reading aloud from the handbook, as I'm sure you know is customary at every school on the first day."

"I, ah—"

"Oh, excuse me. I had almost forgotten that you were new," Mrs. Johnson narrowed her eyes. "Let me show you how a student is _disciplined_ when they refuse to pay attention in _my_ class."

"Mrs. Johnson," A husky, unfamiliar voice spoke up, causing every head to turn. It was that same girl who had caught Kate's gaze before—the one who had been scribbling something or another on her paper.

"What is it, Bethany?"

Kate blinked her eyes curiously. She certainly didn't look like a _Bethany_.

"It's Beth," She supplied tightly, her exterior completely confident; Kate envied her. "She's new. Don't write her up on her first day."

"Miss Davis, I hardly see why it's any business of yours what types of discipline I practice in _my_ classroom."

Kate watched as Beth pursed her lips, obviously biting back a more jagged retort.

"It's not her fault that she's totally bored," Beth replied evenly. The rest of the class erupted into laughter and sneers. Kate felt her face grow hot again. She hated thinking that all of this confrontation was because of _her_.

"Miss Davis, do you wish to join Miss Spencer in after-school detention?" Mrs. Johnson fumed, her eyes narrowed to aggravated slits.

"Anything to get me out of this snooze fest, Mrs. J. I'm completely bored out of my mind, too, you know," Beth offered her matter-of-factly, with a dramatic exhale.

"Bethany Davis! You have just earned both you and Miss Spencer a trip to after-school detention," Mrs. Johnson barked her decision as she stomped back toward her desk for two yellow pieces of paper for the write-up slips. "I wasn't even going to punish Miss Spencer that severely, but given that _you_ have such a big mouth on you, I suppose I don't have a choice."

The class snickered while Kate watched Beth roll her eyes. Kate wasn't sure what sort of reputation that this Beth girl had, but it didn't look to be very good, at least with her classmates.

After Mrs. Johnson had finished their write-ups, she slammed one on Kate's desk, and then one on Beth's. Kate cringed, feeling very small again. She wasn't sure how she felt about being dragged down by this complete stranger. She reasoned that she was only trying to help, but, still, Kate hated to think that this would go on her virtually stainless record.

Beth simply grinned charmingly up at her teacher.

Kate glanced up timidly, and then looked over to Beth. At that instant, they caught each other's gaze again, and Beth winked at her, before glancing away, her lips parted slightly in a soundless chuckle. Kate's eyes darted away as she sunk down into her seat.

She could only imagine what detention with this girl was going to be like.

* * *

Hesitantly venturing into the library, Kate clutched her notebooks to her chest. Glancing around, she realized that she was the first (and _only_) one present. Running her tongue over her lips self-consciously, she pulled out her chair, and then slid into it. Taking out her pencil, she flipped open her notebook and began writing down nothing in particular.

"Well, hey there."

Kate jumped, her heart pounding in her chest. _Beth_? How had she not seen or heard her before?

Emerging from the nearby bookcases, Beth grinned.

"Did I scare you?" She giggled—a giggle that was both husky and quite feminine. "Sorry. I was just looking around. Never knew this school had a library!"

Kate smiled awkwardly to her and nodded. There was no sense in being sarcastic.

"Yeah…" Kate maintained the smile, despite herself.

Beth watched her silently for a moment, her gaze thoughtful.

"You know, Mrs. J probably won't mess up your record, right?" Beth continued to grin—a trademark of hers now—as she turned her back to Kate and investigated the bookcases nearest her. "She knows you're a good kid."

"Yeah, I… ah—"

"What's your name, again?" Beth interrupted her suddenly, turning around.

"Kate. It's… Kate," The blonde watched Beth with uncertain eyes. She was getting strange vibes from this girl; although, she wasn't sure what to call her hunches.

"Oh, _right_!" Beth moved over to the table that Kate was sitting at and perched on top of it, completely oblivious to the fact that she was wearing an extraordinarily short, blue-jean miniskirt. Kate felt a hot blush rise in her cheeks for the other girl. "I'm Beth. Beth Davis," She recited her name matter-of-factly, though Kate already knew it.

Kate nodded her head, suddenly unsure of how to respond. She wasn't very social; her wording was almost always awkward; and she couldn't help but withdraw when the opportunity to bond with others arose. She just felt so out of place.

"You aren't mad, are you?" Beth asked, out of nowhere, jarring Kate from her thoughts.

"Mad?" Kate blinked, confused. "About what?"

"Me getting you detention."

"Oh," Kate didn't want to say anything. In all honesty, she was at least happy to think that someone was _trying_ to stand up for her. "No," She shook her head, feeling strangely pleased when Beth's face lit up with a smile. "No. I'm not."

"Cool," Beth smiled again and nodded, as she crossed one of her legs over the other. "So, you're new, right?"

Kate nodded.

"Where are you from?"

"Well, I… my mom and I move… a lot," Kate swallowed, her throat dry. "I'm originally from Illinois."

Beth was silent, though only for a few seconds.

"That sounds right," The brunette smirked. "You're way too boring and quiet to be from anywhere else!" She laughed and spun around to face Kate, her knees dangerously close to Kate's own legs.

Kate furrowed her eyebrows, her face hot with sudden annoyance. This Beth girl was certainly assertive and brash. She didn't seem to care whether or not she was offending anyone.

"Anyway," Beth went on. "What do you do for fun?"

Kate blinked once again. She wasn't sure why she was being grilled with so many useless questions; yet, at the same time, she wasn't one to be rude, either.

"I listen to music," She offered reluctantly.

"That's… all?" Beth sounded surprised.

"Well, I _did_ just move here…"

"I know, but…" Beth trailed off. Kate could tell that she was thumbing through possible responses. "Oh, whatever. It doesn't matter anyway." She shrugged.

Kate exhaled. This was going to be a long dose of detention.

"Am I bothering you?" Beth wondered, after a moment. It caught Kate off-guard, but she recovered quickly.

"Uh," She stammered. "No. No… I was just… reading."

Beth nodded, digesting the thought.

"Oh, okay."

There was silence between the two of them for several moments following the premature termination of the conversation. Kate's face felt hot when she realized that Beth was watching her; her skin crawled with awkwardness.

Kate cleared her throat casually, snapping Beth from her vigilant state.

"So, what classes are you taking? Forest Hills has so much going on, especially for seniors!" Beth grinned. Kate already knew this, but she didn't bother to interject the thought.

"AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP English—"

"_All_ AP's?!" Beth gasped.

"There's no AP Gym, is there?" Kate withheld a smirk.

Beth ran her tongue over her lips in protest.

"Well, uh—"

"Joking."

For the first time, Kate thought that she saw Beth's confident exterior falter. It was odd, but she felt sort of accomplished because of it.

"I knew that," Beth mumbled carelessly before tossing her head aside slightly, sending her tight, brown curls all about. She paused, debating whether or not it was even worth it to continue talking with Kate. It was only a moment, though, before she quickly relented. "When do you have Gym?" The underlying urgency in her voice was scarcely traceable, but, somehow, Kate found herself noticing.

"Fifth block on B-Day."

"Me _too_!" Beth rounded on herself as she realized how enthusiastic she sounded. Swallowing, she cleared her throat. "I— what teacher do you have?"

"Coach… Williams?" Kate was afraid of Beth's intentions.

"Ooooh!" She trilled, her usually husky voice rising considerably in pitch. "We have Gym together, too!"

Kate willed a tiny smile. How was she supposed to act? Beth's… kindness was admirable and sweet, but she was a bit too straightforward.

"It'll be so fun," Beth decided for her, smiling. "I hate Gym, but it'll be much better now."

Kate tensed subconsciously. Something about that statement made her visibly uncomfortable.

"Kate, you'll learn to love it here," Beth continued, entirely unfazed by the blonde's silence. "We have great clubs. I'm the leader of the Vegetarian Club," She proclaimed proudly. "It was the closest we could get to Veganism." Beth sighed.

Kate nodded politely. Beth's appearance suddenly made sense. She was very retro and almost hippie-esque with her outfits.

"You should come to one of the meetings!"

Ripped from her thoughts, Kate stared up at the brunette, open-mouthed.

"I-I, uh…"

"Oh, come _on_, Kate! It'll be so much fun. _Please_! We have twenty members already. They'd _love_ to meet you!" Beth looked on at her hopefully, her eyes gleaming with excitement and something else—something unreadable and more intentional.

"Beth, I don't know if that's really something I—"

"Look," Beth began, sounding falsely diplomatic. "Just come to one meeting," She compromised, tucking her hair behind her ears. "If you don't like it, then you don't have to come again."

Kate sighed. Sure, that sounded fair enough, but she honestly didn't want to get involved in clubs on her first day. It was that, and she loved eating meat. It was horrible that they tortured the animals like they did, but… she couldn't help herself. It felt almost _sinful_ to attend a meeting with die-hard Vegan/Vegetarian activists.

"All right," The words slipped from her lips before she even had a chance to retrieve them.

Beth squealed with happiness and threw her arms around Kate, practically choking the air out of her. Kate awkwardly pat her on the back, hoping to God that Beth's skirt didn't suddenly fly open from her abrupt movements.

"Great!" Beth appeared strangely relieved; Kate quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. "It's directly after school tomorrow," She began, reaching for her large purse to collect that same pen she was using earlier in Government. Without asking for permission, she began to write something on the back of Kate's hand. "We meet every Tuesday and Thursday," Beth soon finished writing and clicked her pen.

Offering Kate a charming smile, she pursed her lips. Kate returned the smile, though significantly tighter and more ill-at-ease.

"I promise we're not scary," Beth grinned and brushed her fingertips over Kate's nearest hand encouragingly. Kate flinched and drew her hand back slightly, though it appeared casual.

"Yeah," Kate's voice was small and taut. "Thanks for the invite."

Beth nodded and glanced at the clock on the wall suddenly.

"Oh, shit!" She erupted into giggles. "Sweetie, we should've been out of here ten minutes ago!" Beth leapt off the tabletop and bent down to get her backpack.

Kate tensed, unable to tear her eyes away from Beth's skirt, which was creeping up her thighs at a threatening pace. Tearing her eyes away immediately, she reasoned that she shouldn't be looking. Beth might think she was weird or creepy, even though Kate thought she was simply looking out for the other girl's best interest.

"See you later," Beth spoke smoothly, smiling over her shoulder to Kate. "Nice meeting you, Kate."

Kate nodded her head, her mouth dry again.

"Yeah," She choked out the word. "It was nice to meet you, too… Beth."

Beth was gone a second later, leaving Kate alone to gather her things, as well as her thoughts. She couldn't shake the weird feeling that remained with her. It was bizarre that someone was taking so much interest in her now when she had been invisible all of her life. She didn't understand.

Kate slid her backpack's straps onto her shoulders and blinked. Her eyes had caught something on her hand: Beth's writing. Lifting her hand somewhat, she narrowed her eyes, both confused and surprised at what she saw.

Written in perfectly girly and neat handwriting was far more information than Kate thought Beth needed to give for a club meeting. It was that, or Kate was reading way too much into this.

_Meeting tom. / Rm 221 A / 206-122-1007_

Beth had left someone's phone number.

Kate reread the handwriting, and then looked away, perplexed. Whose number was that? Or, rather, who was she supposed to call? She exhaled heavily and shook her head before heading toward the library door.

She supposed that she would find out tomorrow, if ever.


	2. We Bring It In, But We Go No Further

**Thank you to everyone who viewed and also reviewed the story! :) Here's chapter two for you.**

* * *

Beth stood still, her eyes surveying a piece of paper in her hand. She allowed her gaze to linger for another moment before neatly folding it and stuffing it into her pocket.

"Beth?" A girl spoke her name evenly, causing Beth's green eyes to glance up sharply, somewhat alarmed.

"Oh," Beth breathed and smiled slightly. "Hey, Riley."

"Are we going to start this meeting yet, or what?" Riley raised an eyebrow, indicating the other sixteen people in the room.

Beth blinked her eyes.

"I invited someone."

Suddenly, the room perked up. It was rare that they ever had any new members or visitors. The Vegetarian Club certainly wasn't the most popular club in the school, for obvious reasons.

"Really?" One boy asked, sitting himself more upright.

"Who?" Another girl wondered.

"Another Veggie?" A girl chimed in, her accent sporting an obnoxious twang.

Beth wanted to cringe, but she held her own. Truthfully, she hadn't even bothered to ask Kate whether or not she was a Vegetarian. She was just so desperate to get her before anyone else influenced her.

Knowing how this school worked, Beth was one-hundred percent positive that another group or clique would've snatched Kate up within seconds had she not intervened. Oddly enough, Beth wasn't prepared to allow that to happen.

"Well?" Riley raised her voice, to snap Beth back to attention.

"She, uh—"

At that moment, there was a rapping sound on the door. Beth was infinitely grateful. Smiling dismissively to the group of furiously curious teens, she began toward the door. Her heart froze briefly in her chest as she reached for the doorknob and flung the door open.

It was Kate. She had _actually_ shown up! Beth was shocked, to say the very least.

"Kate," Beth's grin was quickly manifesting on her soft features. "Glad you could make it."

Kate appeared nervous, which only made Beth grin even more.

"Yeah," She nodded, swallowing. "Sorry I'm late. I kind of… got lost."

Beth giggled and shook her head, moving aside to let the other girl in. The other club members were craning their necks intensely, trying to get a peek of their newest potential member.

"Don't worry about it," Beth shelved the notion and shrugged. "You're here now."

Kate nodded gratefully, yet anxiously, and then slowly made her way into the room. Beth could tell that she was very uncomfortable. She knew that she would have to go out of her way to make Kate feel more welcome. After all, she was currently under the heated gaze of some of the school's most tensely extroverted students. These were the kids that attended protests and rallies several times a week.

"Guys," Beth began, her stiffly diplomatic voice sounding again. "This is Kate…" She trailed off, realizing that she had forgotten Kate's last name already. Grinning somewhat awkwardly, she side-glanced Kate who twitched her lips upward uneasily.

"Spencer," Kate muttered softly.

"Kate Spencer!" Beth larked, laughing in order to ease the silence. "Yes, this is Kate Spencer. She's not only visiting for the first time today, but she's also new to Forest Hills, too. So," Her eyes flashed abruptly. "play nice, or else."

A few of the members laughed, while others nodded understandingly. They clearly felt sorry for Kate, though Beth couldn't necessarily place why.

Beth glanced over to Kate, and then motioned over toward two empty seats.

"Come on," She said, her voice soft. "Sit."

As she spoke, Beth curled her fingers around Kate's wrist, causing the blond-haired girl to flinch slightly. Beth ignored her standoffish response and simply led her over to the chairs. Sitting at the head of the group, Beth pressed her knees together, always subconsciously aware of her tempting choice of dress.

Once Kate sat down next to her, Beth cleared her throat, summoning everyone's attention. As soon as all (or, at least, most) eyes were on her, the brunette opened her mouth to speak at last.

"Welcome," She sounded poised, and Beth was thoroughly pleased with herself when she felt Kate's gaze warming on her skin. "It's been a good week, huh?" Beth asked rhetorically, causing several of the others to laugh and nodding knowingly. "That PETA protest went over _awesomely_, if I do say so myself."

"Yeah!" Riley spoke up. "I think KFC is finally starting to learn their lesson."

"Not fast enough," One girl hissed. "They're still serving that _disgusting_ food."

"You can't change everything in one night, Trixie," Beth commented regrettably.

"It should just be common sense!" Trixie retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Beth nodded and quickly let her eyes brush over Kate. She looked rigid and considerably nervous. Kate's eyes were darting around tensely, and her hands were curled tightly in her lap. Beth frowned somewhat, and then moved her gaze back to the group.

"So," Beth allowed the group to simmer down before she continued. "Kate," The blonde jerked to attention. "Why don't you tell us something about yourself?" She prompted gently.

Kate ran her tongue over her lips, and, for a moment, Beth worried that she would give in to her nerves."I was born in Illinois," Kate presented lamely. Beth wished she could reach out and place a comforting hand on Kate's knee; however, there were massive blockades in her way from doing such a thing. "I live with my mom…"

Kate trailed off and glanced over to Beth expectantly. Beth nodded reassuringly to her and offered her a smile.

"I work at Brio as—"

"You _what_?!" Riley and several others shrieked.

Beth's body tightened.

Kate looked frantic; Beth was certain that she had no idea that she had even said anything wrong.

"You work at that… that slaughterhouse?!" Riley demanded, her eyes ablaze with fury. Kate instantly recoiled.

"Riles," Beth addressed her calmly. "Calm down. It's okay."

"No, Beth, it isn't!" Riley barked, her eyes narrowing furiously. "You invited that animal-murderer to this club! You are always bringing these stupid strays—"

"Riley!" Beth growled the girl's name, causing her to stop her tirade. "Kate's talking," She told her threateningly. "Be _quiet_, and let her finish."

Riley grumbled irritably and looked away. Beth rolled her eyes, and then looked over to Kate.

"Sorry," She mumbled, as she crossed her legs again. "Go ahead."

Kate hesitated. Beth didn't blame her. She had just been torn to pieces within seconds of her first introduction.

Natalie, a red-haired girl, spoke guardedly.

"What's your favorite place to eat?"

Kate pursed her lips and thought for a moment.

"Well, I don't really know any places around here," She admitted with a shrug. "I really like pizza."

The room was thick with silence again. Beth frowned to herself; guilt crawled beneath her skin. She hated that her own club had turned on Kate. Sighing heavily, she was about to interject when Riley interrupted her.

"Let me guess," Riley started bitterly. "Extra meat and extra cheese, right?" Her eyes were dark with anger. "Beth, just send her out. She doesn't belong here," She locked her eyes with Beth's. "I think you knew that all along."

The challenge made Beth's blood boil with rage. She had no right to assume that, even if it was true. Beth had never asked Kate of her food preferences, but what did that matter? She wanted to extend her hand to Kate, to properly welcome her. She owed her, essentially.

Narrowing her eyes defiantly, Beth purposefully took Kate by the hand and stood.

"Trixie," She address the dark-haired girl from before. "Take over. I'll be right back."

Riley shot Beth a vicious glare, to which Beth merely turned her head away, Kate's hand still cradled in hers, and walked away.

Once they were outside the room, Beth shut the door behind them and reluctantly let go of Kate's hand.

"Look…" Beth chose her words carefully, her eyes rounding with sympathy. "I'm really sorry about them. They're very…"

"Brutal?" Kate offered her, obviously offended by how she had been attacked.

Beth nodded cautiously in forced understanding.

"Yeah," Beth's eyes locked with Kate's, though only for a moment. "I guess I should've asked how you felt about coming to this, huh?"

Kate was silent for several seconds. Her eyes were intense and full of a sentiment that Beth couldn't place her finger on. She was afraid, all of sudden, that Kate would round on her with anger and frustration.

"No," Kate shook her head, sighing. "No, it's… not your fault. You were just," She paused, visibly unsure of what she was trying to say. "trying to be nice."

Beth frowned and clasped her hands together in front of her waist, against her skirt.

"Kate," The girl's name lingered in the air for a moment. Beth was then found herself feeling at a loss for words. There was literally nothing she could say to apologize—nothing worthwhile, anyway. "I'm sorry. Riley, she… I hate that she treated you like that. I don't want you to think that I--"

Beth stopped short. What was she trying to say? Kate was looking up at her with interest.

"She's a bitch," Beth stated soon after, shocked when she noticed that Kate looked dissatisfied. "But, she's… a bit nicer once you get to know her."

"I'm sure she is," Kate said flatly. Beth watched as Kate collected her nerve right before her eyes. "Beth, thank you for the invitation and everything, but… I don't think this is for me. I'm… sorry."

Though Kate sounded genuinely regretful, Beth still felt a stab of embarrassment and disappointment in the pit of her stomach. She had put herself out there for this girl, trying to help her fit in more, and her plans had failed.

Whether or not her plot had been filled with selfish intent didn't even matter anymore. Beth felt a certain pang of aggravation now. She had thought Kate would have at least felt somewhat welcome by her offer, but it had appeared as though it had produced the opposite effect.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Beth replied sadly, not even bothering to hide her discontent. "Thanks for coming, anyway."

Beth watched her with furrowed eyebrows, her arms over her chest. She looked on as Kate's pretty face produced a frown, as well. It appeared as though regret was dulling her evocatively blue eyes. Beth had to glance away to keep herself from feeling anymore empathy for her. She didn't want to get too attached. It was obvious their budding friendship was meeting a premature demise.

Kate nodded uncertainly and tugged at her own shirttail. Her tongue traced over her lips apprehensively.

"I'll see you in class still… right?" The blonde asked, a tangible edge of hope in her voice. Beth couldn't say she was surprised. In spite of their lack of reasons for sustaining a relationship, Beth was the first person that had even given Kate the time of day. Beth had become her enchanting godmother of sorts--something that Beth did not want to be for her in the slightest.

"Well, yeah," Beth managed a small grin. There was no need to continue this conversation; it was getting nowhere fast. "See you later, Kate." She lifted her right hand in a tiny, unceremonious wave.

Outwardly taken aback by Beth's dismissal, Kate nodded, smiled politely, and then walked past her.

Beth watched her leave, completely powerless. Her efforts had been thwarted. No matter how drawn she had been to Kate, she had lost her chance. Now she would be seized and devoured by the rest of the student body while Beth looked on helplessly.

At the very least, Beth had wanted to befriend her. She needed a pleasant escape from the repetition of her daily life. Kate had seemed like a perfect release.

Though, she had made a grave mistake. She had come on too strong too quickly, rendering both sides at a stalemate. There were no moves and no more chances at redemption. That is…

"Kate!" Beth called the other girl's name loudly, her arms falling to her sides. Kate had managed to get halfway down the hallway.

Kate turned around sharply.

"Yeah?" She replied, her voice soft.

Beth moved slowly toward her, keeping a fair distance between them even after she had stopped.

"I was wondering…" Beth's fingertips curled against her own thighs. "Let me make up for this whole thing," She gushed, desperate to hold Kate's attention and interest. "Would you… maybe like to go to a rally with me tomorrow?"

It was all Beth knew to do; she _had_ to fix this.

Kate looked pensive, her eyebrows creased against her forehead and her gaze balanced on Beth.

"Beth, I don't think…"

"Please," The word slipped from Beth's mouth, more reckless than she had originally intended. "I want to make it up to you, Kate. I want you to see that we're… not _all_ bad."

"I wish I could, Beth," Kate replied honestly. "I'm just… not passionate about that kind of stuff. I… wouldn't feel right."

Beth was thankful for Kate's honesty, but, seriously, it wasn't about her being passionate about the same things that Beth was: it was about getting to know one another, about neither of them having to spend more time alone than necessary.

"Kate, that's not important," Beth reasoned, taking a small step toward her. Kate, however, stepped back.

"I'm sorry," Kate spoke meekly.

Beth's shoulders slumped. There went her last chance, out the window.

"Uhm," She exhaled heavily and glanced aside for a second before looking back toward Kate. "It's okay," She raised her hand dismissively. "Yeah. I get it."

Kate nodded, her outer appearance more than just a tad awkward. Beth began to wonder if this whole situation had even gotten to Kate at all.

"See you," Beth muttered pointlessly, before turning her back to Kate. She wasn't about to stick her neck out there again for her anytime soon.

For the first time in her life, her pride had been damaged. Beth had always been confident, in-control, and at ease. And then Kate Spencer came along and knocked her straight to the ground, right off her high-horse.

Beth knew that this was a lost chance that she would later fully regret.


	3. Standing Here Until You Make Me Move

**Here's an extra long chapter for all of you to enjoy! Thank you for all of your kind words and reviews. I appreciate every view and review very much. :)**

* * *

Kate didn't even bother to look back after Beth had turned and disappeared back into the meeting room. Instead, she kept on, her hands grasping onto her arms self-consciously. Honestly, she felt horrible. The lost and frustrated look in Beth's eyes made her feel immeasurably guilty.

Even Kate knew that all Beth wanted was to welcome her to Forest Hills, to perhaps be her friend. Kate wasn't sure, though. Beth's intentions always seemed to be shrouded in mystery. She had come on strong, practically requiring her to attend this meeting, only to be gunned down for saying all the wrong things.

She had only showed up because she liked the idea of making friends. Beth seemed so cool and confident; she wanted to be around people like that. In essence, she wanted to feed off Beth's charisma. She felt drawn to her. It was a shame that things didn't wind up better than they did. Kate found herself wishing that she had agreed to attend that rally, or whatever it was, with Beth. At least then she wouldn't go straight home after school, doing nothing.

Sighing in annoyance, Kate glanced up. She was nearing the library now. Gazing past the glass, she was surprised to see someone inside. It was a short-haired blonde girl, busily typing on her laptop.

However, as if on cue, the girl within the library looked up from her work, catching Kate's stare. Feeling embarrassed and flustered, Kate looked away and continued walking.

A moment later, the library door creaked open, causing Kate to look up once more.

"Hey!" The short-haired girl called out to Kate, waving one of her hands to get her attention. "Can you come here for a second?"

Kate blinked, but then walked over to her.

"Hi," The girl from inside the library smiled and nodded her head shrewdly. "I'm Carrie Schaefer," Carrie extended her hand. "I was wondering if I could borrow you for an interview? I run the school's TV station."

Kate shook Carrie's hand and sported a slight, courteous smile.

"Uhm…" She wasn't sure. Something about being on the school's morning TV show didn't appeal to her. The last thing she wanted was for people that she didn't even know to judge her without her even knowing. "Sure… I guess." Kate cursed her intense desire to feel apart of something.

"Great!" Carrie exclaimed excitedly, as she grabbed Kate by the arm and led her swiftly inside the library. "I'll just set up the camera, and we'll be good to go."

Kate nodded her head, surprised by Carrie's rushed behavior.

"So, where'd you come from?" Carrie wondered, as she took out her camera and began prepping it. "Most people are usually gone by now."

Clearing her throat slightly, Kate cringed as she recalled what had just happened.

"Uhm, actually… I was checking out the Vegetarian Club."

Carrie stifled a laugh.

"You're a Vegetarian?"

"No," Kate shook her head and placed her hands awkwardly on her hips. "The leader of the club invited me. She's in my Government class… and Gym class."

"Beth Davis, right?" Carrie's voice was positively sarcastic. Kate wondered why.

"Yeah…" Kate remarked uncertainly.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she invited you so she could sleep with you."

Kate's heart practically leapt from her chest. What in the world was this girl even talking about? Suddenly very embarrassed, Kate's eyes darted around before landing on Carrie once again.

"What… do you mean?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

"What are you… new?" Carrie asked, astonished.

"Well, yeah—"

"Of course you are," Carrie corrected herself and nodded. "I haven't ever seen you before, and I know _everyone_."

Kate smiled tightly, her lips twitching somewhat.

"Anyway," Carrie continued. "_Everyone_ knows Beth is bisexual," She held Kate's gaze. "She's dating this one girl from her club, but everyone just thinks the Vegetarian Club takes turns sleeping with each other, like some, big harem, or something," She shrugged.

Kate's mouth had fallen agape. She had no idea. Yet, at the same time, she felt a certain amount of anger inside of her. Carrie had no shame; she probably didn't even know Beth personally, and yet she was passing judgment.

"Uh, you know what…" Kate began, irritation radiating off her in waves. "I actually have somewhere I have to be," She pressed her lips tightly together and narrowed her eyes challengingly. "Can we do this some other time?"

Carrie had since looked up, her eyes burning holes into Kate. She had virtually finished readying her camera at this point. Sighing, there was honestly nothing Carrie could do. Kate smirked inwardly in satisfaction. It served her right.

"Sure," Carrie mumbled, exasperated. "What's your name?" She took out a pen and a notepad.

"Kate Spencer."

"Got it," Carrie's voice was flat and aggravated. "I'll catch up with you sometime within the next few days, all right?"

"Sure," Kate shrugged her shoulders, and then began toward the door. "Sorry." She tossed the apology over to Carrie lightly, abruptly uncaring to how 'big' of an inconvenience she had caused the other girl.

Kate didn't care. She hadn't appreciated Carrie's passing judgment of Beth at all. Although, admittedly, Kate was extremely shocked. Never had she thought that Beth was… well, _bisexual_. She began to wonder if perhaps that was where Beth's intentions laid.

Exiting the library, Kate summoned her car keys from her purse, and then began down the hallway. She felt curious, yet satisfied.

Perhaps the guilt of denying Beth's offer wouldn't lie on her heart for too much longer.

* * *

The following day, Beth found herself feeling incredibly foolish and guilt-ridden. She didn't want Kate to feel uncomfortable around her. In fact, she wanted the opposite. All Beth wanted was Kate's friendship. Sure, Kate was gorgeous and adorable, but Beth knew what she could, at the moment, realistically shoot for.

That morning in Government, Beth kept her gaze to herself, despite how desperately she wanted to see how Kate was. Was she angry? Was she all right? Beth wasn't sure.

Biting her bottom lip, she swallowed nervously, mentally kicking herself for getting so upset over someone she had just met two days before. She had never cared so much about forging a friendship before Kate. Suddenly, it mattered; _everything_ mattered.

Beth tapped the end of her pen against her desk and frowned. There were no group projects today. The teacher had just planned on lecturing them and giving them individual work. Needless to say, Beth wasn't too happy about that.

Heaving a quiet, annoyed sigh, she painfully tore her eyes away from the teacher's overhead notes and glanced over to Kate. She was obediently scribbling down the notes, much to Beth's disappointment. Rolling her eyes, Beth debated her options: a.) toss a pencil and hope it hits Kate _lightly_ in the head, b.) whisper loudly to get her attention, c.) wait until class was over to talk to her, or d.) attempt all of the above.

Beth smirked as she decided to go with the obvious choice: _selection A_. Readying herself, she prepared to launch her pretty, pink pencil at Kate's head.

Just as her arm pulled back, aimed and ready, the loudspeaker chimed in:

"Just a reminder: This school year's prospective student council members will meet after school in Ms. Clarkson's room. New students who received the green invitation slips are especially requested to attend. Thank you."

Blinking, Beth peered curiously at Kate's desk. Much to her surprise and pleasure, a folded piece of green paper was tucked between the pages of one of her writing journals. _Perfect!_ The brunette grinned and folded her hands in her lap.

Kate was indirectly making this way too easy for her. Beth had come to the 'wise' conclusion that this was the perfect way to reconcile with Kate. She would show up in a situation in which _Kate_ was comfortable, and then show her that all of her intentions were pure. Beth was flexible, after all. All she had to do was show Kate that she was approachable, that she wasn't some spiteful bitch out to get her.

Beth nodded to herself and continued to smile. Her heart thumped rapidly in her chest. She was eager to prove herself.

* * *

After the final bell of the day had chimed, Kate was excited to get to the Student Council meeting. She had been a Student Council Representative at her last school, and it had been right up her alley. It was no surprise that she wanted to check out Forest Hills' program, also.

Kate had received the invitation from Carrie Schaefer. Regardless of Carrie's stance toward Beth, she was inclined to attend. Besides, it would keep Kate's mind off the troublesome brunette. She still felt incredibly remorseful about denying Beth's invitation the other day, in spite of the brief lapse of time.

As Kate walked into the room, she was surprised to see a large group of people packed into the smaller classroom. There were at least thirty in attendance. Carrie was there, as well, and glanced up as soon as Kate entered the room.

"Hey!" She called out, making it very plain to Kate that she didn't remember her name on the spot. "Glad you could make it."

Kate merely nodded and sat down at a desk near the front of the room.

"I think we can begin now," Carrie clapped her hands, calling everyone to attention.

"Wait!"

A familiar voice echoed through Kate's ears.

"Beth?" Kate whispered the girl's name under her breath as the brunette essentially flew into the room, breathing heavily. The blonde's heart flipped in her chest as her face grew redder by the second. What in the world was Beth doing here? Student Council didn't seem like something Beth would ever even consider.

"I'm here," Beth announced, causing several people to chuckle callously. "Sorry."

Carrie brusquely locked her eyes with Kate's, alarming the reserved blonde. Had Carrie seen her reaction to Beth's arrival? Kate licked her lips anxiously, cleared her throat softly, and then glanced away. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. Beth had caught her completely off-guard by this completely unexpected appearance.

Ignoring Kate's obvious inner struggle, Carrie rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance.

"Sit down, Beth," She stated flatly.

Beth's eyes flashed with veiled irritation that only Kate could pinpoint. The brunette moved and sat two chairs behind Kate, as planned earlier. Beth knew that subtlety was the best choice.

Kate swallowed and kept her eyes ahead of her. She felt awkward. She wasn't sure if Beth was angry with her, or if there was any bad blood at all. She was entirely flustered, and the thought of having Beth here while she voluntarily visited another club was nerve-wracking.

"All right," Carrie began, her voice booming. "Welcome, one and all, to this year's first Student Council meeting. If you're here, you're basically in," She laughed. "Of course, as you all know, the ranked positions were voted for and decided on last semester," She paused, allowing her words to sink in. "However, we're always in need of representatives and volunteers—A.K.A.—you guys!"

The room buzzed quietly with whispers. Carrie waited for a moment before cutting the chatter short with a hiss.

"Now, we need to brainstorm," She noted, grabbing her clipboard and pencil. "We need a Homecoming theme, as well as the dress-up week themes."

At an instant, the room was alive with people spewing off idea after idea. Carrie's eyes widened at the amount of noise that overtook the small area.

Kate simply sunk into her seat, while Beth's eyes blazed with intent.

"Guys," Carrie tried to hush the room. "Guys!" She yelled, causing everyone to fall silent. "One at a time," She directed, absentmindedly waving one of her hands. "Raise your hand, or something."

One girl raised her hand.

"What about Hollywood Stars?"

"Too cliché," Carrie insisted.

"Manhattan Nights?" Another girl inquired.

"Too overdone," Carrie remarked dryly.

Then, Beth's hand shot up, drawing Kate's eyes over her shoulder to look at the energetic brunette.

"What about an Animal Lovers theme?" Beth wondered earnestly, her eyes blinking pensively.

The room was quiet for a good few seconds before it erupted into cruel laughter.

"Just… _no_," Carrie snickered, scribbling something out on her clipboard paper.

"What?" Beth looked shocked. "Why not?"

A few of the people laughed to themselves while Carrie looked on at Beth incredulously.

"Are you serious?" She scoffed. "Beth, what could you even _do_ with a theme like _that_?"

Beth stood her ground, shocking Kate, who already felt unbelievably embarrassed and sympathetic for her.

"A lot of things," Beth responded coolly. "Everyone could dress up as their favorite animal."

Carrie and the rest of the room, sans Kate, burst into unbridled laughter. Kate's face absolutely burned with humiliation for Beth. She felt horrible, and yet there was nothing she could possibly do to help the other girl.

Beth remained strong, regardless of her idea's negative response. She kept her head up and her jaw locked. She was determined to remain composed in front of these students.

"This is a school dance, Beth," Carrie managed, after she had finally began to stop cackling. "Not a hoedown at the zoo."

Narrowing her eyes, Beth scoffed quietly and gave Carrie a stare directly out of hell. Kate felt a surge of pride course through her. She smiled to herself, glad that Beth wasn't outwardly allowing Carrie to get the best of her.

"Fine," Beth shrugged her shoulders carelessly. "I guess it is _your_ decision."

Carrie laughed again.

"It definitely is," She smirked. "Animals aren't on the agenda."

Snickers and giggles filled the room for another moment. Beth glanced away, and Kate thought that she saw a tiny glimmer of humiliation flash through Beth's eyes. Kate's heart swelled with pity once again for her.

"Anyway," Carrie cleared her throat, still grinning ear-to-ear. "Does anyone have any _good_ ideas for the theme? _Not_ dealing with animals?"

Giggling to herself, Carrie watched with sheer pleasure as Beth's eyebrows knitted in soundless aggravation. Beth said nothing; she only looked away, refusing to maintain eye-contact with Carrie.

"What about _Arabian_ Nights?"

"Totally copied from another district, Karen!" Carrie corrected her shamefully.

"An Animal's Night Out?" One boy cackled, sending the room into a squawking reel of their newfound inside joke.

Beth kept her eyes on the wall while Kate sunk into her seat yet again. This was terrible. All Kate wanted to do was take Beth out of the room so they didn't make fun of her anymore. She felt totally awful, and yet there was nothing she could do about it.

"All right, you guys. Enough," Carrie was smirking again. "An animal joke is only funny for so long."

"The only thing better than an animal joke is a _dead_ animal joke!" jeered one boy, as he purposefully glanced back at Beth, who was fuming.

"Hey, asshole," Beth hissed, losing her temper for the first time. "What ever happened to respect for others?"

"The hippie slut's pissed now!" One girl howled with laughter.

Beth rolled her eyes. Kate felt anger flare in her stomach. She wanted so desperately to say something, but timidity choked her up.

"Guys, guys," Carrie settled them down with a wave of her hand. "This is about Homecoming," She started, as both Kate and Beth braced themselves for the punch line that they both knew was coming. "—not about Beth's _beef_ against non-Vegans."

Once again, the room howled and cackled with unrestrained and seemingly eternal laughter. Kate sunk further in her seat. It almost seemed too obvious who had won this verbal war.

For the first time throughout this fight's entirety, Kate turned her head to glance back at Beth, to essentially observe the damage. The look in Beth's eyes and on her face absolutely broke her heart and utterly floored her.

Beth was _smiling_. Beth's face lit up as soon as Kate's eyes met with hers. It was an expression that Kate hadn't thought she would find there. Sure, she saw embarrassment; she saw hurt, even. However, there was something else, as well—something _far_ from sinister, something _angelically_ pure.

* * *

Subsequent to the meeting and the endless dead animal jokes, Kate finally excused herself from the intolerable meeting. Forest Hills' Student Council was obviously not the place for her. She wanted nothing more to do with those insufferable people.

Remorse weighed down Kate's heart suddenly as she thought of Beth, who was still gathering her purse in preparation to leave. Kate could have—no, _should have_—said something. She knew that it was the right thing to do, and yet she still did nothing. Fear of rejection by her peers and shyness held her back, and she mentally cursed herself for that over and over again.

"Hey."

Kate was startled by Beth's husky, gentle voice behind her. Turning, Kate was yet again astonished to see a delicate smile on the brunette's face.

"Hi," Kate's mouth grew dry all over again. "I'm… really—"

Beth waved her hand and shook her head. It was just her and Kate in the room now. They could talk freely and without interruption.

"Don't say it, Kate," She smiled to her. "It's not your fault."

"But… but I should have said something!" Kate insisted, the words leaping out of her mouth frantically.

"Hey," Beth seemed surprisingly good-natured, in the face of the grim circumstances. "You barely know me. It's not your job, or anything."

"But you…" Kate swallowed, her heart heavy again. "You were the first person to even notice me at this school." Her voice was small and docile.

Beth tilted her head slightly, and then chuckled once.

"I just wanted to say 'hello,'" Beth told her simply, with an affable shrug. "and you looked lonely."

Kate's heart lurched forward, nearly out of her chest. No one had ever taken note of that before. Kate was shocked. How had Beth known? She blinked and swallowed away her nerves and wariness again.

"I… ah…" Kate was at a loss. Tears threatened to form in her eyes, causing her to have to blink them away repeatedly. "Thank you… Beth. It… really means a lot to me, what you did."

Beth's lips curved to form the most heartwarming smile that Kate had seen in years.

"No," She shook her head. "I mean—I do wish that _I_ had someone like me to come say 'hi' on _my_ first day," Beth laughed softly, causing Kate to smile and giggle a little, as well.

"Yeah," Kate smiled, beginning to feel a bit more comfortable.

"You know…" Beth ventured, noticeably hesitant. "I could tell you something, but… I don't want you to… _hate_ me, or anything."

The stressed word seemed almost painful for Beth to say. Kate perked up instantly.

"No," Kate blinked her eyes, smiling as she added: "You're too sweet to hate."

Both of the girls grinned and chuckled to themselves.

"Well," Beth started, setting her purse down on the nearest desk. "I wanted you to know that… I invited you to my club, because…" Reluctance bit at Beth's tongue. "I… didn't want some other group or clique or person to snatch you up and have their way with you. I wanted you to be treated nicely, you know? You didn't deserve to get sucked up in their hateful, judgmental worlds."

Kate's eyes widened ever so slightly. Her heart nearly stopped beating in her chest. All along, _these_ were Beth's intentions? Kate felt criminal for ever even doubting her at all. She had no idea that Beth had such thoughtful, optimistic objectives.

"Beth…"

Beth shook her head abruptly and laughed, warding off a creeping blush from her cheeks.

"No! Before you even think about it," She grinned. "I know it sounds creepy, but it's really not."

"No, actually…" Kate looked up at the other girl, fighting hard to keep any appreciative tears at bay. "It's really, _really_ nice of you."

Beth watched her in pleasant silence for a moment, her eyes shining.

"I'm just sorry that they… treated you so badly," Beth spoke after a moment, regretfully.

"Hey," Kate giggled softly. "It was good practice," She smiled up at the brunette. "It seems like I'll need some really thick skin at this school if I want to survive, anyway."

There was another moment of silence before Beth's expression broke to reveal a smile of both happiness and relief.

"Yeah," She concurred, her green eyes bright with pleasure. "Though, we're supposed to be the most peaceful group at this school. You got off easy, Kate!"

As Beth spoke, she knocked one of her fists playfully against Kate's arm.

"Watch it!" Kate joked, laughing all the while, as she recoiled teasingly from the light hit. "Remember: I'm _sensitive_."

Beth laughed heartily, causing Kate's face to light up with delight. She had never thought she would feel this comfortable around someone new before. This was the first time since her playground years that she had been so friendly and playful with someone else. It felt _magnificent_.

"Oh, Kate Spencer," Beth sighed happily. "Where have you been all my life?"

"Moving from house to house looking for you, of course," Kate teased, drawing a smile from both of them.

"But, really," Beth calmed, a sense of solace and solemnity rushing over her. Kate was amazed how regal and serene the brunette looked as she spoke such simple words that sounded wise beyond her years. "Thanks for not being '_weirded out_,' or anything. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," She paused, uncertain if she should continue. "and you seemed like a really sweet girl—and… a really great friend, too."

Kate watched her for a couple of seconds. Their eyes locked, and both girls grew quiet. It was neither awkward nor overly stimulating. It was a simple moment of inner solitude and contentment. It _was_.

"You, too, Beth," Kate decided, after the moment had come to a graceful ending.

The girls stood there, comforted by the joy glittering in the other's eyes.

"Beth," Kate spoke meekly, her eyes narrowing with thoughtfulness.

"Yeah?" Beth blinked her eyes encouragingly.

"You're not really apart of Student Council… are you?"

The question took Beth by little surprise. In fact, she had assumed that it would be brought up eventually. Therefore, she had been prepared. She merely smiled.

"Nope," Beth crossed her arms over her chest. "I wanted to show a certain girl that I wasn't some creepy whack-job, and… that I wasn't out to get her by sending an army of crazed Vegans her way," Her eyes shared Kate's gaze unwaveringly. "—and that I was willing to feel what she felt before we could actually be friends."

It was at that moment that Kate Spencer had no idea what to say. All of her collective intelligence did her little to no good in this instance. In the eyes of a virtual stranger, she saw more than she had seen in any person that she knew personally. She saw understanding, wisdom, hope, and _emotion_. Beth had made it clear that she wanted to open up to her and vice versa. This wasn't just a one-day friendship that was on the table for the taking.

Biting her bottom lip gently, Kate blinked her eyes still. The tears were beginning to be more and more insistent, but she wasn't giving in just yet.

"Well," Kate spoke softly, her voice nearly shaking with feeling. "That girl you're talking about… appreciates it more than you know," She admitted, staring up at Beth gratefully. "And, she told me… that she would _love_ to be friends."

At that instant, a smile burst onto Beth's features uncontrollably. Happiness radiated off her in waves. She couldn't control the amount of excitement and bliss that she felt. It was strange, but Beth felt as though Kate—who happened to still be a, in all fairness, stranger—actually understood her and where she was coming from. There was a definite spark in Kate's eyes that told Beth that Kate had been there and, more or less, had done that.

"Thank you, Kate," Beth sighed quietly. "You're so sweet. You're practically making me blush here!" She chuckled and shrugged her purse onto her shoulder.

Kate smiled with the utmost satisfaction.

"Good," She replied pleasantly.

Beth nodded her head, unable to suppress the sparkle in her eyes and disposition. She readied herself to leave, her lips poised to offer a friendly good-bye, when Kate broke in.

"Beth," She began to say, her voice hopeful and apologetic. "Do you think that I could have another chance, and—_maybe_—still come to one of those rallies with you?"

Taken by complete surprise, Beth's eyes flew open. Her heartbeat picked up intense speed, and she had to take a moment to compose herself lest she would stutter when she spoke a moment later.

"Uh—_sure_! Of course!" Beth nodded, reaffirming herself. "There's not one for another week, but… we…" She paused, taking a stab in the dark. "—could still hang out, if you want."

"I'd really love that," Kate resolved, smiling cheerfully. "I'd really love to get to know you better."

Kate bit her tongue, realizing how that may have sounded a tad bizarre. Though, she thought little of it when she observed the ecstatic reaction that it drew from Beth.

"Yeah, _definitely_!" Beth spoke swiftly, her heart pounding in her chest while her blood rushed loudly in her ears. "Just give me a call. We'll work something out—something _not_ involving some school club." She winked.

Kate giggled and looked up at her questioningly.

"What's… your number?"

Beth watched her, feigning hurt, out of nowhere. It stirred up alarm in Kate suddenly.

"You mean… you didn't save the number I wrote on your hand?" Beth frowned, her lower lip poking out slightly and her voice tinged with sadness.

"I—no—I mean—"

"Kate!" Beth giggled. "Relax. I'm just messing with you."

"I didn't know that was what you wrote dow—"

"Kate," Beth placed both of her hands on either one of Kate's shoulders. "Calm down. It's _really_ okay. Do you have your cell phone with you?"

"Yeah," Kate dug into her purse, and then handed her phone over to Beth. "Here."

As Beth supposedly put her number into Kate's phone, the blonde looked on curiously. Beth had appeared to be typing something far more than just a number before she slid Kate's phone back into its rightful owner's hands.

"There," Beth smirked. "Now you can't wash it off," She spoke smoothly, as she whipped out her own cell phone which practically chirped on cue, signifying a text message. "_And_—I have your number!" She winked at her, waved her fingers teasingly, and then slipped past the blonde, out of the room, leaving Kate smiling behind her.

Kate's eyes flashed over the newly-added number in her cell phone. Her eyes glinted knowingly, and she grinned.

She didn't need that number at all. She had memorized Beth's number ever since Beth had first given it to her two days ago.


	4. Second Chances Only Come Once

**Thank you for all of your wonderful feedback! Here's chapter four, coupled with a fair warning: I can't promise any activity at all next week. My lady and I have some much-needed quality time to spend!**

**But, don't worry. I have _every_ intention to finish this story!**

**In the meantime, I hope this tides all of you over. :) (Though, it's possible that I'll have chapter five up sometime this week! Fingers crossed.)**

**P.S. Be sure to check out my girl's new, _amazing_ Beth/Kate story, as well! It's called "Serendipity."  
**

* * *

"No way!"

The sound of laughter filled Kate's cluttered room. It was the place where Beth and she had chosen to spend time together that day. Four days had passed since their reconciliation of sorts, and they had quickly grown more and more comfortable with each other.

"So, you seriously locked him outside in the cold… in _just_ his underwear?" Beth continued in amazement.

Kate glanced away, instinctively embarrassed.

"I was just really annoyed that day," She insisted, smiling. "Let's just say he was one of the biggest jerks my mom's _ever_ brought home."

"Good for you!" Beth chimed in, laughing.

They had been in Kate's room for nearly two hours now, just laughing and enjoying each other's company. It had only been awkward for the first five minutes or so. After that, they had grown accustomed to the tame silence that followed a pleasantly finished conversation.

"You know," Kate began, shifting in her extremely comfortable papasan chair. Beth had taken to the bed, where she was presently sprawled out on her stomach, facing Kate. "I don't think you've met my mom yet."

Beth's eyebrows raised curiously.

"Oooh," She cooed playfully. "I get to meet the parent already?"

Kate giggled as Beth winked at her suggestively.

"Well, of course," Kate grinned and folded her legs beneath her. "She's heard enough about you."

"That so?" Beth snickered and rolled over onto her back, staring over at Kate from an upside-down view. "At least now she won't think I'm some creeper trying to woo her daughter."

Kate tossed a pillow at Beth teasingly.

"You always call yourself that! Stop!" She laughed. "You're a far cry from the _real_ 'creepers' around here."

"Oh, Kate," Beth's green eyes narrowed amiably. "Always the diplomat, always the counselor."

"How would you know?" Kate tried to hide the huge grin on her face.

"I just do," Beth shrugged and forced herself to sit up. "You're an easy read."

"No!" Kate feigned hurt.

"Relax, sweetie," Beth fluttered her eyelashes charmingly. "I like 'em easy."

Kate's mouth dropped open, and her face flushed.

"I, ah—"

"Oh, hush, you," Beth laughed and pushed herself up, off the bed. "You're so cute when you get all flustered," She maintained, grinning. "I was joking."

"I knew that," Kate insisted, swallowing her nerves away. She hadn't intended on getting so worked up over nothing; it had just _happened_.

"Besides," Beth continued composedly, assuming that now was the best moment as any. "I'm off the market, anyway. I can't be much of a lady-killer, now, can I?"

Kate blinked her eyes. She tried not to seem shocked, but could hardly help herself. Remembering what Carrie had said about Beth nearly a week ago, she glanced up at Beth. Was it true? Or… was Beth simply being comical?

"I didn't know that," Kate spoke quietly. Something that felt like disappointment nagged at Kate's stomach, and she wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was coupled with the slight jealousy that she felt, as well. Kate had very much enjoyed the time that she and Beth had been spending together, and the thought of splitting that time with Beth's significant other made her feel somewhat irritated.

"That's because I didn't tell you," Beth spoke with a tinge of unease in her voice. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

"What's their name?" Kate wondered curiously. "Do I know them?"

Beth's eyebrows knitted as she sat in silence, suddenly avoiding eye-contact with Kate. There was something strange about revealing this furtive relationship to Kate. She almost wished that she could make this news simply disappear—cease to exist. It wouldn't bother Beth in the slightest; in fact, she would finally be allowed to free herself from the choking strain that she felt.

"Okay," Beth breathed, her eyes narrowing with intent. There was no sense in revealing the identity of the other half of her relationship. Something else lay on Beth's heart, something more important, but less of a secret. Holding back the news of a relationship was one thing; however, holding back the news of apart of Beth's makeup was another and even more fiercely unforgivable. "Look, let's just skip right to the point, all right?"

"Okay…" Kate was uncertain. Her palms twitched with nervousness. What was Beth making such a fuss about? Whatever her 'big secret' was, it couldn't too dreadful. Kate saw few noticeable flaws in her character.

"It's really not a big deal, or anything," Beth shrugged, placing herself at the end of Kate's bed, facing her friend. She was a mere foot from Kate. To Beth, this news was nothing; it was like telling someone that her hair was brown or that her eyes were green. "But, I don't want us to get any closer without you knowing."

Kate cringed. Whatever this was, Beth was hyping it up in a negative way. Kate half-expected her to say that she was secretly a hired assassin, or something. It was either that, or Beth was some felon, out to get close to her victims before she stole them away to some undisclosed location.

Though, those thoughts were quite possibly just Kate's _wild_ imagination.

"I'm gay," Beth said plainly, her expression unchanging as she sustained eye-contact with Kate.

Kate practically fell all over herself. All of that buildup for _that_! She wanted to heave a heavy sigh of relief.

"You're… _what_?" Kate found herself sounding utterly stunned. Though she had assumed this, more or less, she hadn't expected Beth to be so clear-cut and forthright about it.

"I'm gay," Beth shrugged again, smiling this time.

"So…" Kate fluttered her eyes in slight, unintentional confusion. "You don't like boys… _at all_?"

Beth laughed and folded her own legs underneath her.

"Uh, no," She smiled. "Doesn't that kind of go with the job description?"

Kate's face burned with embarrassment. She glanced away, chuckling nervously all the while. For some reason, she found herself extremely intrigued. She had never had a friend or even an acquaintance that was gay before. Kate just wanted to ask Beth all kinds of questions, even though she knew that was probably uncalled for.

"Kate," Beth grinned at her knowingly. "You don't have to be so awkward about it. It's not a big deal, remember?" She winked at her lightheartedly.

"Y-yeah," Kate swallowed, her eyes blinking again. "I know."

Beth watched Kate's face for a moment, her own eyes reflecting serene thoughtfulness.

"You know you can ask me anything you want, right?" Beth encouraged her softly, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

Kate seemed to release a particular breath that she had been holding onto for a long time at that single moment. She straightened her posture, and then stared into Beth's eyes.

"So, how long have you known?" Kate blurted out, instantly feeling shy again. Despite her previously acquired knowledge of Beth, learning this news felt as though she was learning something brand-new about the other girl.

"Well," Beth began, removing her now half-asleep legs out from under herself. "All my life, I was brought up believing in 'free love'—" She paused, seeing a muted question flash in Kate's eyes. "—which is not caring about the gender of the person that I sleep with. After that, I started to call myself bisexual. Then, after my freshmen year took off, I realized that I was _totally_ gay," The brunette chuckled and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I was like, 'who am I kidding?' I had no interest in guys whatsoever."

Kate had been watching her wide-eyed and curious, like a child. However, when Beth finished, the blonde willed herself back to reality and exhaled softly. She had no idea that sexual discovery involved so many _levels_. Did everyone experience this?

"So, you've—"

"Never had sex with any guys?" Beth finished for her, causing Kate's face to turn a dark shade of red. "I really wish I hadn't," She admitted quietly. "I don't think about it much. I used to… well, honestly," Beth's voice had dipped slightly. "I used to be a _huge_ slut."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows.

"Used to be?"

Beth's eyes lit up humorously, and she tossed a pillow good-humouredly at Kate.

"What's that supposed to mean, Spencer?" She demanded teasingly, causing Kate to recoil in shame.

"No! I-I'm sorry! That's not what I—"

"Kate," Beth spoke her name gently. "Please just relax. You're going to hurt yourself."

"I really didn't mean that," Kate spoke quickly, her cheeks burning.

"I know," Beth blinked at her fondly. "But, no. I'm not like that anymore. I've really learned a lot about myself since then."

Kate realized that she herself was smiling.

"That's good," The blonde murmured contentedly.

Beth nodded.

"Yeah," She glanced aside, and then sighed. "Still not so great at school, but hey: you can't change everything in three years, can you?"

Once again, Beth winked at Kate, causing the blonde to smile in response. There was something about that simple gesture that made Kate feel very special each time Beth did it. It made her feel warm and entirely at-ease.

"Sure you can," Kate insisted playfully, smirking. "You get a tutor like me."

"You think?" Beth tilted her head, grinning widely. "That'd be great, actually. My Pre-Cal grade seriously _sucks_!"

"Pre-Cal…" Kate pursed her lips to keep from laughing. "Beth, what in the world are you doing in that class?"

"Ask my counselor! Her expectations for me are totally crazy."

"Did you not have enough credits—"

"Kate!" Beth howled with laughter, all of sudden. "Please. The _last_ thing I want to talk about with you is school. I get it," She spoke drolly. "you're my sweet, little school geek, but c'mon!"

"Hey!" Kate squeaked, throwing the pillow from earlier back at her. "Don't be a jerk!"

"Believe me, dear, you haven't seen me being a jerk yet," Beth promised her smoothly, her eyebrows raising challengingly and playfully.

"Okay, okay," Kate rolled her eyes in amusement, and then folded her hands in her lap. Her tongue itched to ask Beth more questions. Yet, she was afraid that she was beginning to lose her chance.

Kate looked up at Beth, figuring that it was now or never. She didn't want the moment to slip away.

"So… I was wondering," Kate started, losing her voice soon after.

"What?" Beth perked up, watching her expectantly.

"How, uhm, exactly did you know you were… gay?" Kate's mouth was as dry as cotton. She wasn't sure why this subject was so intense with her.

Beth looked momentarily taken aback, but she tossed the sentiment aside rather quickly.

"Well, I sure as hell didn't like sleeping with guys," She laughed. "What kind of answer are you looking for, Kate?"

"You just… make it sound so easy!" Kate exclaimed rapidly, withdrawing once more afterward. "I mean—I don't know… you're just so cool and collected about _everything_."

Beth plopped down on her stomach again and laughed without reserve.

"Oh, _yeah_," She snickered. "What Beth Davis do _you_ know?"

Kate frowned somewhat.

"I mean it, Beth."

"Hey," Beth looked up at her sympathetically. "Don't get all upset," She insisted softly, before teasingly adding: "I hate to see such a pretty face so sad."

"I'm not sad at all," Kate maintained adamantly, pressing her lips tightly together. After a moment, though, she couldn't help but smile.

"Anyway," Beth continued for her, not bothering to wait for Kate to jumpstart the conversation again. "You just know, Kate," She advised her warmly. "It's just, like… do straight people go around flaunting their 'straightness?'"

"Well—"

"Okay," Beth smirked. "Do _normal_ straight people?"

Kate shook her head.

"Right," Beth persisted, kicking her own feet forward once. "So, it's the same with gay people, too," She allowed her shoulders to fall. "I mean, sure… you'll always have those who throw it in people's faces, but that's the same with every situation."

"Wow," Kate breathed the word, her eyes widened ever so slightly.

"What?" Beth wondered calmly.

"Beth, you're just so…" Kate's heart swelled with pride and happiness for her friend. "I don't know. You're just so _understanding_ and tolerant and… really, really wise and intelligent."

Beth laughed yet again, her brunette curls bouncing out of order as she shook her head in pleasant disagreement.

"I just put out what I expect from others," She told her simply.

Kate watched Beth thoughtfully. Respect for her friend was pouring out of her immeasurably. Beth was so serene and peaceful—so gentle and loving. Kate honestly admired her more than she could ever possibly put into words.

"I think that's how everyone should be," Kate added softly, her voice a little timid.

Beth's eyes shined with deference and pleased acknowledgment. Silently, though, she decided to move the topic of discussion along for Kate's sake.

"Was there anything else you wanted to ask?"

Kate glanced around her room as she thought.

"How many girls have you dated?" She asked her friend modestly.

Beth looked pensive, though only for a moment or two. She crossed her ankles and held Kate's placid gaze.

"I've been with several girls," She spoke evenly. "I thought I loved one of them once."

Kate was surprised by the bitterness laced in Beth's voice. She lowered her eyebrows uncertainly.

"What… happened?" Kate prompted her carefully.

Beth exhaled softly, her eyes finding it more and more difficult to remain affixed on Kate.

"She was older than me," She said frankly. "This was only about a year and a half ago. I was sixteen, and she was twenty-seven."

Kate fought well to hide the absolute shock in her eyes and on her face. The age difference was vast and accountable, but Kate was hardly one to judge. Even now, she trusted Beth's opinion immensely.

"It just didn't work out between us," Beth finished dryly. "We wanted different things."

Kate lowered her eyes for a couple of seconds, feeling somewhat awkward, if only briefly.

"I'm really sorry, Beth," Kate offered her empathetically.

"No," Beth sighed. "Kate, she was a _real_ bitch. I was just blindsided by her. She was so beautiful and charming, but…" She shrugged and shook her head one time. "She wasn't for me at all. She wanted nothing but sex, and I wanted to take her out sometimes. It was getting old."

Kate parted her lips to draw in a good breath. Her mouth had been practically glued shut because of the tension. Her heart ached for Beth. Even if Beth was over this woman, she could tell that she still felt the sting.

"I'm not much better," Beth admitted in a meager voice. "but I'm learning."

Kate stared at her wistfully. She almost didn't want to think what Beth meant. It made her feel afraid for her friend.

"Anyhow," Beth cleared her throat and put on a smile. "I promise lesbians aren't all the drama they hype about."

Kate nodded, ignoring the nagging feeling she felt inside. Beth caught on to Kate's discomfort quickly and decided to act on it.

"I've talked enough for today," Beth chuckled. "I miss hearing your voice, anyway," When Kate didn't speak up right away, Beth narrowed her eyes charismatically. "Come on, Kate. Smile for me… please?" She stood up and walked over to Kate threateningly. "Don't make me tickle you—"

"No!" Kate squealed, jerking away, nearly knocking herself over, along with her papasan chair. "I'm so ticklish, Beth! _Please_ don't!" She laughed out the words, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Beg for mercy!" Beth howled through a laugh, as she launched herself at Kate, toppling the defenseless papasan chair over. Making sure that Kate was safe during the fall, Beth had strategically placed her hand behind Kate's head. The last thing she wanted was for her playfulness to land her friend in the hospital.

"No, Beth! _No_!" Kate's voice was shrill with laughter as Beth's hands traveled up and down her sides ruthlessly. "Oh, my gosh! _Beth_!"

Beth's legs were placed on either side of Kate as she continued to playfully torture the smaller girl.

"You should've listened!" Beth giggled, her eyes flickering with joy.

Kate continued to laugh, tears forming in the corners of her blue eyes.

"Please stop, I'm—"

All of a sudden, Liz Phair's "Why Can't I" blared from Beth's skirt's back pocket. Their hearts pounding, Beth, more or less, sat down on top of Kate, keeping her there.

"Hang on," She laughed softly, reaching for her cell phone. As soon as Beth's eyes saw the name flashed on the screen, she tried her hardest to hide her aversion. Flipping her phone open, she pressed the receiver to her head.

"Hello?"

Kate looked on curiously from her position under Beth. Her heart was racing, even though it had a fair amount of time to begin to calm itself. She felt a smile tugging the corners of her lips; she couldn't help herself. Being with Beth was just unadulterated _fun_.

Though, worry soon pricked her heart as she saw Beth's facial expression turn sour.

"Yeah," Beth rasped irritably. "Look, I'm just over here—_no_. I told you I'd be over at her house. Yeah," She rolled her eyes. "It's seriously not as big of a deal as you're making it," There was a long pause, a revolted face from Beth, and then: "Yeah, whatever. I'll be over there soon, okay?" Beth exhaled. "'Bye."

Clicking off her phone, she sighed agitatedly and shoved her cell phone back into her pocket.

"Kate."

Kate swallowed. She knew exactly what was coming, and it made her heart cry out in helpless dismay.

"I'm really sorry, sweetie," Beth started to say, her voice genuinely regretful and poignant. "I have to go."

"I figured," Kate murmured softly. "I understand."

Beth grudgingly willed herself to stand, and then extended her hand to help the blonde up, off the ground.

"I swear I'll make it up to you," Beth insisted, smiling to her.

Kate nodded, working her best smile for the other girl.

Sensing Kate's reluctance, Beth reached out and took Kate's hand. Kate's face flushed for half a millisecond, before the blonde looked up at the smiling brunette.

"We'll hang out tomorrow?" Beth ventured hopefully.

"Definitely," Kate affirmed, blinking her eyes.

Curling her fingertips over Kate's soft hand, Beth gave it a reassuring squeeze before releasing it. Kate smiled, her entire body prodded with unimaginable needles of some unknown sentiment.

Beth blinked her eyes adoringly at Kate before turning, poised and ready to leave.

"Who…" Kate caught herself. Abrupt self-consciousness came crashing down on her hard.

Fearing this confrontation, Beth found herself wedged between righteousness and deception. Terrified of losing any ounce of Kate's respect, she rightfully chose the initial selection.

"My girlfriend," Beth spoke unenthusiastically. "Riley."

Kate stared at her friend in masked disbelief. She nodded numbly and willed a smile as Beth waved a friendly goodbye, and then exited the room. The blonde was beside herself.

Riley? If memory served, Kate remembered her as the unwelcoming, loose-cannon from Beth's Vegetarian Club—the girl who outwardly _despised_ Kate.

Kate's heart thumped restlessly in her chest. She moved over to her bed and glanced over at the outside wall, wordlessly thumbing for answers. She felt betrayed, and she felt utterly ashamed for feeling that way. After all, it wasn't as though Beth had begun dating Riley subsequent to the Vegetarian Club incident. Beth would have never done that, of that Kate was thoroughly convinced. Or, at least, Kate hoped.

Nevertheless, the thought of Beth's unintentional betrayal sustained a choking hold on her heart. It was that, and something else—something that Kate felt even more ashamed of.

For the first time in her entire life, Kate felt inconceivable jealousy—almost destructively so.


	5. She's Just the Way She Is

**Hello, readers! Thank you so much for all the _wonderful_ views and reviews yet again. I apologize for the delay, but my girl and real life will always my number one priorities. Stress and other things have inhibited my muse, but I'm happy to say it's back now. Hope you enjoy this installment!**

**Now go pester the amazing and lovely writergirl2003 to update _Serendipity_! ;) I'll lead the way.**

* * *

Beth was flattered by Kate's consistency. When they had plans, they were irreversible, and both of the girls loved that. Never before had either of them been rewarded with such certainty. All day, Kate had gushed about what they could do together later that night. They had arranged to have a sleepover. Beth was overtaken with Kate's sweet and excited remarks about their evening.

"It's been years since I've had a sleepover," She murmured to Beth excitedly.

"Years?" Beth pressed her affectionately.

"Yes!" Kate admitted happily, thrilled by the idea that she actually had a friend who was interested in them now. "We'll have to do _everything_."

Beth smiled warmly toward her friend.

"All that and _more_, of course."

Kate continued to beam, her blue eyes gleaming with happiness. Beth loved seeing her so upbeat and cheery. She did nothing but smile these days—that perfect, cute smile where her eyes closed somewhat while she giggled softly. It was undeniably cute.

"Hey," Beth started, after a moment. "I have to pick something up at my place after school. I'll meet you at your house at five-thirty. Is that okay?"

Hardly skipping a beat, Kate turned to look at her friend. Beth tried not to flinch when she saw that animated, inquisitive flash in her eyes.

"Could I… maybe go with you?" She inquired optimistically, smiling too adorably for description.

"No, Kate. That's really oka—"

"Or… we could just have the sleepover at your house," Kate offered innocently, grinning widely.

Beth's heart virtually tripped over itself.

"Uh," She tried to laugh it off. "Your house is _much_ better."

Kate dismissed the notion energetically.

"We've been to my house every time," She said, her eyes gleaming up hopefully at Beth. "You've got to be getting tired of it by now."

Beth smiled to her, unable to become irritated with Kate. She was afraid that this would happen eventually, anyway.

"I promise that your house is a better idea, Kate," Beth commented quietly, her gaze even.

"But—"

"Kate," Beth placed her hands on either of Kate's arms, instantly silencing the other girl. "I swear that we'll crash at my place one day really soon, but… today: can I please just go and get my things so we can get this thing off the ground?"

Kate paused, appearing to be deep in thought for several seconds. Beth watched her guardedly, her nerves flaring up on the inside. She felt terrified and anxious. The last place that she wanted to take Kate was her side of town. There was only one thing in the world that embarrassed Beth, and it was her living space. Her stomach twisted at the thought of having to show Kate.

"Okay," Kate sighed, her plans vanquished. "but can I still go with you?"

"You really don't have to do that, Kate," Beth chuckled slightly. "That's one less trip for you, and I'm a _big girl_, you know."

"I know," Kate insisted, her blue eyes pleading. "Beth, _please_. It would mean a lot to me."

Beth found herself staring into Kate's gorgeously blue eyes. It was difficult to combat that sweet and persuasive look within them. Beth was very easily swayed when it came to a pretty girl.

Allowing her shoulders to fall, Beth sighed, willing herself to smile, despite how scared she felt. She didn't want to ruin Kate's streak of happiness now.

"Oh, okay."

"Really?" Kate perked up, her eyes wide with astonishment. "Thank you!" She threw her arms around Beth, but then recoiled after a couple of seconds with a soft, nervous giggle. "Sorry."

"No," Beth shook her head and smiled. "Let's go, I guess. I'll drive."

*** * ***

The drive to Beth's house was filled with excitement for the first stretch. Kate was practically bubbling over with joy, though she showed it mainly through the sweet smile that she portrayed.

Beth, however, was incredibly tense and concerned. There had been a reason she had never mentioned her home before.

"So, where do you live?" Kate's voice asked through the silence.

Beth winced. She should have guessed that would have been asked eventually.

"The lower part of town," Beth answered coolly.

Kate merely nodded, which was a good sign. Clearly, she had no idea what "the lower part of town" entailed. She would soon enough, though. Beth tried not to appeared more worried than she actually felt. She was a wreck inside. Yet, she felt somewhat ashamed. Why she was so desperate for Kate's approval was beyond her.

"I'm sure it's a wonderful place," Kate commented softly. "_You_ live there, after all."

The candid sincerity in Kate's voice was astonishing. Beth found herself smiling automatically.

"I hope I live up to those expectations," Beth added with a grin, causing Kate to giggle.

"I'm not worried," Kate replied with a knowing look.

And then the scenery outside the car's window abruptly shifted.

Suddenly, all around them, suspicious people roamed the streets, their pants practically trailing behind them on the concrete. They looked mean and unforgiving. Kate tried not to recoil at the sight. How had she not noticed this before?

Her eyes fell on Beth, who was diligently driving and almost paying Kate no attention at all. Kate swallowed her nerves and averted her eyes. She didn't want Beth to see how frightened and anxious she had become in such little time.

Beth had noticed, though, unbeknownst to Kate. She had tried to withhold her sigh of exasperation as they entered the area where her apartment was. Kate was obviously not used to this part of town, given that her little house was in a moderately nice neighborhood.

"Where is your house exactly?" Kate asked tautly, mentally berating herself for sounding so distant and witless.

It was now or never.

"Apartment, actually," Beth corrected her gently, with a sigh. "It's on the next block."

Kate frowned. She hated to think that she had offended Beth. The idea that she had possibly placed that hurt look on Beth's face mad Kate feel very distressed. She vowed to fix it.

"It's… a nice place," Kate murmured, instantly feeling like an idiot. She had never been a good liar.

Beth flashed an almost undetectable, brief quirk of a smile before laughing stiffly once.

"It's okay, Kate," Her voice was rigid now, causing Kate to flinch. "You don't have to say anything."

Kate retreated into herself. Out of nowhere, she was just anxious to see Beth smiling again.

As they pulled into the apartment's parking lot and Kate unbuckled her seatbelt, she craned her head to look at Beth, who was presently unbuckling her own.

"Hey," Kate breathed the word. Beth looked up at her expectantly.

"I can't wait to see your apartment, Beth," Kate told her sincerely, her eyes dimmed with concern.

Beth looked at her long and hard, her expression refusing to soften. She couldn't lie; Kate's reaction when they entered her neighborhood, though expected, had really hurt her feelings. Beth was angry with herself for caring so much. Kate was just a girl, her friend. She shouldn't feel as though she had to be on a pedestal whenever she was around her. That wasn't healthy.

However, seeing that soft, essentially angelic shine in Kate's expression, Beth found herself faltering. Her heart was thumping fiercely in her chest, and she suddenly realized that she had nothing to say, that she had forgotten to even respond to Kate at all. Trying not to trip all over herself, she cleared her throat. How could she possibly stay mad at Kate? She was too damn adorable.

Smiling, Beth sighed and shook her head.

"Kate," Beth was smiling hard now. "You're so cruel."

Kate's face lit up with relief and humor. _A smile!_ Kate thought, grinning satisfactorily. There was Beth, finally shining through. Kate found herself intoxicated by her newfound, blissful mood. Her piercing blue eyes traced over Beth's pretty face suddenly, finding her lips in an embarrassingly short amount of time.

Those dimples! Kate had, somehow, never noticed them before. Her heart twisted and turned anxiously in her chest. They were above verbal description as far as cuteness went. Kate realized, only too late, that she was giggling like a silly schoolgirl.

"What're you laughing at, Kate?" Beth asked her jovially. "Are you ready to go yet, or what?"

Kate giggled uncontrollably for another moment before nodding her head. Her brain currently couldn't conjure up anything intelligible to say. She was lost in the adorableness that was Beth Davis. She was so real and raw. And _those dimples_! It was no wonder all the girls wanted Beth. Kate's friend was quite the catch.

As they slipped out of the car, Kate instinctively stayed close to Beth. She refused to move farther than eight inches from her. Whether it was the bad neighborhood or the need to feel close to someone, it was unknown.

"Don't set yourself up too much," Beth explained to her as they entered the elevator. "It's no masterpiece, obviously."

"Hush!" Kate knocked her hand playfully against Beth's arm. "It'll be amazing."

Beth eyed her suspiciously before shrugging.

"Well, at least you're in a good mood now."

Brief guilt stung Kate before she bounced back off the wall and recovered with what appeared to be seasoned expertise. Beth witnessed it with veiled surprise. Who was this Kate Spencer, and what did she do with the original? The brunette smiled to herself.

It wasn't long before the two girls had arrived at the door of Beth's apartment: Room 521, fifth floor, two bedrooms, one bathroom, with a balcony view (or so Kate assumed from the outside of the building). Beth had mentioned her living space having two bedrooms and only one bathroom before. Though, at the time, Kate had presumed that it was a smaller house, or something of that nature.

Beth unlocked the door slowly, almost reluctantly. She was still hesitant about Kate tagging along, as much as she adored her. Her lower belly was nothing but knots and nerves as she swung the door open. Luckily, the apartment was relatively clean, even with a hot-pink-and-black-dyed-hair, young woman bustling about the small kitchenette.

She looked sharply toward the door.

"Sky!" She called an unfamiliar name and then rushed forward to hug Beth. Kate watched, perplexed and curious. Why was she calling Beth, '_sky_?'

"Hey, Em," Beth hugged the girl, smiling. Kate instantly felt jealous. Who was this girl, anyway? Kate hated to think who.

After another second, Beth stepped aside, revealing Kate to the strange woman. Kate had to admit, though: her hair was something incredible. Somehow this girl had made it work flawlessly. She had a relatively pretty face, though it was significantly influenced by erratic and colorful, yet grunge-inspired and even stylish make-up. The girl was thin—too thin, Kate thought, and her clothes were all over the place. It was hard to keep up with this girl; she was a walking, mismatched rainbow.

"Kate," Beth announced smoothly. "This is my sister, Ember Rose."

Kate's mouth fell open. So, this was Beth's sister! She could hardly believe it. Beth spoke of her sometimes, always about how much she partied, meddled with drugs and alcohol, but also of how close they were. However, she found it difficult to believe that this was her older sister. And—what kind of name was _Ember Rose_, anyway?

"Please," Ember groaned at the name, and then thrust her hand forward for Kate to shake. "Just Em is fine."

Kate shook her hand uncertainly. Vaguely she recalled Beth mentioning an 'Em' before. It must have slipped Beth's mind that Kate had no knowledge of whom 'Em' was.

"Nice to meet you," Kate replied automatically, causing Ember to snicker.

"Yeah," Ember smirked. "Got a polite one now, huh, sis?"

Beth laughed dismissively and shook her head. Kate found herself feeling defensive again. What was that supposed to mean?

"No," She grinned. "Kate's my friend."

Kate frowned. 'My friend' sounded very demeaning, and she unwillingly took offense to it.

Ember quirked her left, pierced eyebrow upward.

"If you say so, Sky," She sighed and looked at the old, digital clock on the counter. "Shit!" She hissed, stomping over to the kitchen table to retrieve her purse. "You completely threw me off, sis! I gotta go."

"It's not our fault you're easily distracted," Beth reminded her teasingly, beckoning Kate inside the apartment with a slight tug at Kate's nearest sleeve.

Ember stared at Beth with a hard, yet obviously playful stare. She flipped her off, and then shrugged her purse onto her shoulder.

"Don't wait up," Ember proclaimed habitually. "I'm crashing at Gavin's house."

Beth sighed irritably but said nothing as Ember fled the apartment, swiftly shutting the door behind her. Kate watched Beth's sister leave, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. The blonde could tell that something about Beth's personality had taken a brief turn for the worse in the past few moments.

"Sorry about that," Beth spoke diffidently. "Em's… her own person."

"She's fine," Kate commented warily. She was afraid that her offense from Beth's previous remark was showing, but she attempted to brush it off. "She's very interesting."

Beth forced a smile, preparing to turn, before Kate spoke again.

"But… why was she calling you 'sky?'" Kate wondered aloud quickly, her curiosity spilling over.

Beth's features softened, producing a smile. She sighed and combed her own fingertips through her curly, brown hair. It was a cute, nervous habit, Kate decided warmly.

"Remember how I told you my mom's a total hippie?" She grinned furtively. "I guess I never got to tell you my full name."

Kate's interest suddenly skyrocketed.

"Of course you have my sister, Ember Rose," Beth explained, causing Kate to become unreasonably impatient. "My mom's name is actually Moon Beam." Kate's thought process paused. Okay, now _that_ was something.

Kate smiled in a bewildered manner.

"Really?"

Beth nodded affirmatively.

"Really, really," She replied warmly, her eyes sparkling with affection.

"So… what's _your_ name?" Kate couldn't contain her curiosity any longer.

"Bethany Rainbow Sky Davis," Beth declared matter-of-factly.

Kate stared at Beth in awe. What a name! She had never known that Beth had such a unique name since they had started to become so close. It made her feel a bit upset, but she easily brushed it aside.

"That is… _so_ cool!" Kate exclaimed unintentionally, immediately recoiling, her face stained red. "But, really… you're so… _cultured_."

Beth stifled a spirited laugh.

"I wouldn't call my hippie pedigree _culture_," She admitted lightheartedly.

"It's better than Kate Emily Spencer!" Kate blurted out with a smile.

"At least your name is really, _insanely_ adorable," Beth told her sweetly, her eyebrows lowering for emphasis. Kate couldn't help but blush somewhat.

"So… what do you call your mom?" She paused, realizing how silly it sounded in the open. "I mean, you know… do you just call her Moon Beam?"

Beth's eyes gleamed both happily and with amusement, and Kate smiled right back at her. It was nice to see her friend so upbeat, even if she always appeared to be.

"Just Moon, usually, or—you know—_Mom_."

"And they call you Sky?" Kate prompted, her excitement bubbling over like a child's. Beth was mesmerized by how damn cute she was acting. It was absolutely precious and endearing.

"Em does," Beth explained. "My mom calls me that, too, sometimes, if she's feeling lazy. She prefers to call me Rainbow Sky, in all its glory." She laughed and slid her fingers through her own hair. Kate knew that she must be grinning like a fool at this point.

"Wow," Kate's voice sounded so genuinely incredulous. "I can't believe you never told me!" There wasn't a hint of anger in Kate's voice; she was just pleasantly surprised.

Beth nodded her head smoothly before curling her finger at Kate, beckoning her.

"You want to see my room, or what?" Beth smirked. "Don't tell me that wasn't why you fought so hard to come with me."

Kate flushed, her blithe embarrassment completely out in the open now.

"No way," Kate played it cool for once. "I-I… I just thought you needed an escort is all."

Beth was smirking harder by the second.

"Yeah, and my name's Kate Emily Spencer," She cooed teasingly, before rounding on her heels and heading for her bedroom.

"I wish it was!" Kate replied cheerfully, almost forgetting to follow after her. "Because then I'd get to have _your_ cool name."

"Whatever makes you happy, sweetheart," Beth called to her, now inside her room.

Kate's features brightened at the endearing term. She had always enjoyed when Beth called her 'sweetie,' 'sweetheart,' or 'honey.' It made her feel very warm and content inside.

Stepping delicately toward the door where Beth had disappeared mere moments ago, she held her breath, unsure of what to expect. She had always had high expectations of what Beth's room was like. Though, she couldn't really say that anything she saw could ever particularly "let her down"; after all, this was _Beth_ she was talking about. In Kate's eyes, Beth Davis could do no wrong.

As she slipped into the room, Kate was instantly greeted with an array of plentiful and perfectly produced colors. It was literally a poetic _explosion_ of colors. Kate uttered a small gasp.

Each of Beth's bedroom walls held its own personal color, which was absolutely perfect for her. One wall was a feminine, yet sultry pink; another wall was an alluring and attractive shade of purple; the third wall was a lustrous and vigorous shade of green; and the last wall was a soothing and influential shade of blue. Somehow, Beth had made the collection of colors work and match effectively. Her walls meshed together in perfect harmony, which was surprising to Kate.

Beth's carpets were a plain, yet effective beige color. It was the standard apartment carpet, Kate knew, but with Beth, it was something special.

The comforter on Beth's twin-sized bed was of an intricate design. It was every color of the rainbow, an assortment of complex and beautiful swirls that formed the most elegant, yet calming and humble patterns. It looked so soft and inviting, warm and beckoning like a goose down comforter. However, with a smile, Kate remembered that Beth would never own such a degrading and inhumane product.

Her pillowcases were of the same pattern; however, these had couples of hearts interlaced on them. It was cute; it was _so_ Beth.

Hanging and plastered to Beth's bedroom walls were many, _many_ posters. Whether it was human rights, gay rights, animal rights, environmental concerns, or political propaganda: Beth had them all. Though, Kate was surprised to see posters of a few music artists and actresses, as well. Beth was still a young adult, after all. Kate tried not to giggle to herself as singer Pink scowled at her from one of Beth's posters, just as Angelina Jolie gazed at her sensually from another. Suddenly Kate found her friend even more adorable and endearing.

Beth had also apparently dedicated one of her walls (the pink one, to be precise) a collage of photographs. Kate felt that now-familiar, hot feeling rising up in her cheeks as she realized that there were hordes of previously unseen and personal pictures of Beth pasted on that wall. She made a mental note to casually steal a glance or two at them soon, even if that meant seeing Beth with other girls.

Other than that, a fair-sized television sat opposite the room from the bed on a black stand that housed both a gaming system and a DVD player. There was a small, cute desk, scattered with countless papers that Kate was deeply curious about. Then, of course, lastly, the room was scattered neatly with multitudes upon multitudes of cute, fluffy, and downright adorable stuffed animals of all species. Though, Kate noted that there were many more little puppy stuffed animals. She smiled.

"Kate?" Beth called to her gently, her eyes twinkling with that usual, knowing look. "Honey, you all right?"

Kate exhaled heavily. She knew her face must have been blue for all of the five or ten seconds that she had been holding it.

"Yeah," She spoke tautly, still amazed by her surroundings. "Beth," Kate gave Beth's room another once-over. "Your room is… _amazing_!" Her words tripped over themselves. "It's so… it's so…" Kate couldn't put her feelings into words. "—_you_." It was a lame finish, but Kate didn't mind. She merely stepped further into the room, greeted by a grinning Beth.

"You think so?" Beth chuckled enchantingly. "Thanks, Kate," Her green eyes showed the eternal depth of her gratitude. "I'm glad you like it so much."

"I _love_ it!" Kate turned around, memorizing each characteristic of Beth's room. "I wish my room was this… _awesome_."

"Kate," Beth looked at her with playfully reprimanding eyes. "Your room is fantastic. Believe me, I've been in it more than once." A smirk enhanced her features; Kate held her breath again briefly.

"Yeah, but," She did a turn for effect. "it's nothing like yours."

Beth held her hands up in mock defeat.

"Okay, okay," She smiled to Kate. "No need to get all sappy and cute on me yet, Spencer. I need to pack my things, remember?" Something sparked in Beth's eyes. "How am I supposed to do that with you being so adorable, huh?"

Kate's insides were melting, and that frightened her a bit. Beth had called her cute before, but with that extra flash of _something_ in her friend's eyes, it made this time different, significant. She nodded her head wordlessly and managed a tiny smile as she watched Beth stuff all her essentials in a green duffle bag.

Green. It looked magnificent on Beth. She wore it constantly, and Kate had easily assessed that as her favorite color long ago.

"Ready?" Beth's voice stole Kate from her private thoughts.

"Uh," Kate recomposed herself. "Yeah. Let's go."

"Unless," Beth began, shrugging her duffle bag onto her left shoulder with ease. "you'd prefer to stay over _here_ for the night."

Kate's face instantly drained of all its color. She felt horrible for being so afraid of Beth's "part of town," but, right now, she couldn't particularly help it. She wasn't so sure she was ready to venture into this part of the area for a long period of time just yet, much less spend an entire night here. All she wanted was for Beth and her to go back to Kate's house and have a magnificent, _safe_ night together _there_.

Nervously, Kate opened her mouth to speak, just as Beth interrupted her with a hearty chuckle.

"Relax, Kate," Beth spoke warmly, her eyes ignited with humor and even affection. Kate suddenly relaxed that Beth's fingertips had curled themselves delicately around her right arm. Heat immediately flooded to that area of her body, and she tensed. "I was only playing. Now, c'mon," She let go of Kate's arm—much to Kate's subconscious disappointment—and began toward the door. "I'll protect you, okay?"

Kate had to smile. The idea played in her head a bit wilder than it probably should have—Beth protecting her. It made her feel warm, safe, and at-ease.

"Good," Kate affirmed with unbridled enthusiasm. "I'll need it."

Beth just smiled at her as they started toward the apartment door.

"Don't worry, Kate," Her voice was laced with such hidden sentiment that it made Kate's heart nearly ache. "You're with me."


	6. A Diamond in the Rough

**I'm still here! Promise. Thank you all for the every kind view and review! They keep me going strong. Here's chapter six for you awesome people. I apologize for the lateness, as it _is_ almost the end of the semester. Whoo-whoo! I promised that I was finishing this story, and I meant it. :)**

**As always, this is for my beautiful lady, who is an _amazing _amount of help and inspiration for this story.  
**

* * *

The nights she spent with Kate were always full of excitement, spontaneity, and joy. Beth couldn't remember the last time that she felt so alive and real. Something about Kate brought out Beth's naturally young soul, the curiosity and playfulness of a child.

It made Beth smile and laugh like she hadn't in years. It was refreshing, new, and completely invigorating. Friday night, after their stint at Beth's apartment, had gone over magnificently. They spent the evening giggling, teasing each other, and just being themselves.

Kate spoke of her anxieties in lighthearted tones, while Beth squeezed Kate's hands in silent reassurance. Then, they switches roles with Kate nudging Beth's shoulder each time Beth spoke of how one of her teachers had screwed her over or how someone had been a jerk to her at work. It was a beautiful cycle, both so pure and intimate. It made Beth's heart thump wildly in her chest in anticipation and wonderful uncertainty.

The mood of Friday carried over to Monday, long after that blissful Friday evening and Saturday morning at Kate's house both ended. A smile seemed to forever crease Beth's lips, even as she realized that she was staring into two, blazing brown eyes.

It was Monday morning. Her weekend of happiness and harmony was evidently over.

Wedged in the back of the school library was Beth and a peeved-looking blonde whose arms were presently crossed. Beth was watching her with a vacant stare, obviously not paying her any credible attention.

"Beth!" hissed the girl, her eyes aflame with rage. "Are you even listening to me?" The girl's voice was juvenile and whiny, and it grated painfully on Beth's nerves for some reason.

"Riley," Beth sighed. "I'm listening. I promise."

Riley didn't look pleased, Beth knew. It was just difficult to care, particularly when the last person Beth wanted to deal with this morning was Riley and her attitude.

Scoffing, Riley made a point to blatantly roll her eyes.

"What the hell were you doing hanging out with _her_, again?" Riley growled.

Beth just stared at her oddly. In a simple, mollifying voice, she spoke quietly to the other girl.

"Riley, Kate's my best friend," She shrugged.

"Well, I'm your _girlfriend_!" Riley snapped back.

Beth's eyes narrowed.

"Riley… what does that have to do with anything? I _know_ you're my girlfriend. Girlfriends and best friends aren't always the same thing, you know," Beth commented lamely, her voice distracted and plainly unsympathetic.

The flames of spitting fury in Riley's eyes blazed to an entirely new degree of rage. Beth briefly thought that the other girl might spring at her and viciously claw her eyes out.

"I knew this would happen," Riley growled bitterly. "Ever since you started hanging out with that _whore_, she's all you _ever_ talk about!"

Anger flooded Beth's previously docile façade much quicker than she intended. Nevertheless, she kept her head square on her shoulders. This was just what Riley wanted, to get a rise out of her.

"You know, Riley," Beth's eyes narrowed. "You can be seriously immature. Kate hasn't done anything to you."

"She's stolen _my_ girlfriend!" Vicious possession tinted Riley's voice, triggering Beth to recoil.

"You're acting like such a brat," Beth was finding it increasingly difficult to remain civil.

Suddenly, Riley was directly in Beth's face, spewing hate from her dark brown eyes.

"You know what—"

"No," Beth interrupted her with contemptuous eyes. "Riley, stop. I'm sick of dealing with your shit. Seriously!" She threw her hands up in disgust. "All you ever _do_ is bitch and moan to me about _something_!"

"That's not—"

"Yes," Beth corrected her with the highest cynicism. "it is. I'm tired of it. I'm done."

Riley's eyes rounded with shock and inner dismay. She pulled her lips back in a snarl of sorts and almost seemed as though she would charge Beth at that very moment.

"You're joking, right?" she barked at her irately.

"Uh, no," Beth scoffed and folded her arms. "I'm really not."

Riley grumbled loudly and balled her fists.

"Fine!" she snapped, practically throwing her purse onto her shoulder. "I don't need a girlfriend who doesn't want me anyway."

Beth's eyes narrowed once again.

"It wasn't going to work, Riles. You didn't like Kat—"

"'_Riles_' is for people who I actually give two shits about, _Beth_," Riley growled. "and anyone with a brain can see you drooling over that loser. Grow up! You're the one who's immature and stupid if you think you can get a _straight_ girl to fall for you."

Beth opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out. She stared blankly as Riley stomped out of the library, slamming the double-doors behind her. The brunette winced at the noise, but then sighed. It was hard to believe. She was Riley-free! Beth inwardly melted with joy. It was nice, for once, to be unattached, to be free—free to live, free to grow, free to—

She paused and slipped her phone out of her jeans' right pocket. Two texts from Kate.

One was a simple: _hey, r u at school yet?_, while the other merely said: _call me if u can_. Beth bit her lip and glanced around. The library was empty, and school didn't start for another ten minutes or so.

She breathed and pressed speed dial number two. The dial tone echoed in her ear three times before a breathless voice answered.

"Beth?"

"Kate!" Beth chirped into the receiver. "Hi. Sorry, I… I just got your texts."

Beth could practically hear Kate smiling widely over the phone.

"Yeah," she sighed heavily, obviously catching her breath.

"You okay?" Beth asked idly, looking around the library.

"Mmhm," Kate insisted between clenched lips before she took a gulp of air in. "I'm just running a few laps before school."

Beth smiled to herself.

"You and the track team, Kate," Beth's voice was a low purr of affection.

"Hey!" she feigned hurt. "You said I looked good in these shorts."

"You do," Beth maintained. "You have _amazing_ legs." and curves, and chest, and— _Shit_. Beth caught herself and fumbled with the phone self-consciously. _Down, girl_, she warned herself.

Kate sounded as though she was beaming with pride.

"Thanks," she replied happily. "I'm glad you think so."

Beth gave a noncommittal noise as a reply. Her mind had slipped elsewhere, until Kate brought it back again. She had to focus.

"Anyway," Beth tried her hand at regaining her mental composure. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight. We could see a movie or go eat," she hoped she sounded casual and not as though she had motive. The last thing Beth wanted was for Kate to see her break-up with Riley as a reason for pity during one of Kate and Beth's outings together.

"Uhm," Kate's voice was distant and contemplative; Beth found her body pulsing with worry. "I have to work tonight," the blonde mumbled regrettably.

Beth frowned.

"That's okay," The brunette replied flatly.

"But…" Kate trailed off, her breathing level again. Apparently, she had stopped running long ago, and Beth had taken little or no notice. "I get off at nine, if you'll still have me."

Hope sparked in Beth's chest.

"Of course!" Beth's heart fluttered and soared, surprising even her. She came down off her quick high with a sweet giggle. "Let's meet somewhere," she decided, blinking in thought. "I know! Let me buy you some ice cream."

Uncertainty clouded Kate's reply.

"But, Beth, you don't eat—"

"I know," Beth hushed her fondly. "but you do," she said it as though it were the most obvious and precious notion in the world to her. "I really want to get you some, Kate."

A sigh sounded over the phone, and, after a few moments of thought, Kate relented.

"Okay," she sighed in defeat. "but, _only_ if I can bring you a snack that _you_ can eat, too."

Beth would have waved her hand dismissively if Kate had been here to see it.

"Sure, sure," she clicked her tongue and eyed the newest arrival in the library. The librarian.

"I'll be there by nine-thirty," Kate told her.

Beth smiled against the phone.

"It's a date."

The words resonated in Beth's head, and she almost felt dizzy from them. Swallowing hard, she tried to focus on a quick goodbye to Kate.

"See you in class," Kate promised.

"'Bye," Beth choked out the word swiftly before sliding her phone shut and shoving it into her pocket. She exhaled with great effort, and then looked around.

Her head felt fuzzy with confusion and disbelief. If only that word were true. An evening with Kate, an actual _date_, that sounded perfect. Beth couldn't ignore the fear in the pit of her stomach.

There was no reassurance for this. It was taboo to even think about.

Beth bundled up her nerves, as well as her belongings, and then headed out of the library. For once, it wasn't so comforting being lost within her thoughts. She only felt as though she was drowning in private chaos and apprehension.

*** * *******

A cool breeze drew goosebumps on Beth's exposed legs as she waited outside the Coldstone creamery. She had foolishly chosen one of her blue jean miniskirts for their evening excursion. Either by purposeful intent or subconscious effort, it didn't matter. Beth found herself regretting the choice of dress, regardless of her long-sleeved, green shirt.

She hid her hands within her sleeves and crossed her arms over her chest. Suddenly, she wished Kate would get here sooner; however, a subliminal nag in the depths of Beth's mind screamed for Kate to not even show up at all. _It would be torture_, it was screaming. Yet, Beth had paid it no mind. She was intentionally deaf to any out-of-place thought of Kate that crossed her mind tonight.

Right now, Beth needed her best friend. She couldn't be caught up in thoughts that didn't even make any sense to her. She had just broken up with her girlfriend. Granted, they had only dated for three months, and Beth felt no emotional attachment whatsoever—but that was beside the point.

A night out with Kate was just what she needed to wind down, and that was what she was going to have.

Only two minutes passed before Kate's familiar BMW buzzed up to a stop near the front of the creamery. Beth put on her flashiest and best smile and waggled her fingers happily at her friend. Kate smiled, cut the engine, and then stepped out, a paper bag in one hand.

"Hey," Kate breathed, after locking her car and sauntering over. "Did you miss me?"

"Always," Beth grinned and touched Kate's shoulder affectionately. "What's in the bag?"

"I told you I was going to find you a snack, didn't I?"

Beth giggled and swatted at Kate's arm playfully.

"You didn't!"

"Hold on," Kate was grinning ear-to-ear. "Just wait until you see what it is first."

Beth looked on eagerly, her eyes widening as Kate produced a silver spoon and handed it to her. She watched as Kate reached into the bag and lifted out a moderately-sized carton of ice cream.

"It's _Purely Decadent_," Kate announced proudly.

"Oh, my God, Kate! You little rat!" Beth's eyes glittered with adoration for her best friend. That ice cream was not only Beth's absolute favorite, but notably Vegan certified, as well.

"Dairy free, and… it's your favorite: pecan praline!"

A feeling of warmth and admiration tickled the pit of Beth's stomach. Her heart was beating quickly in her chest as she received the ice cream from Kate.

"Kate, honey," she began to speak, but found herself at a loss with all those feelings fluttering recklessly within her. "Thanks so much. You have no idea how amazing you are."

Beth's knees felt tweaked with emotion. She had to steady herself, lest she fall victim to their intent to buckle. _What's wrong with me?_ she questioned herself inwardly, all while her eyes shined with affection.

"I have a general idea," Kate noted both comically and humbly, as she wrapped an arm around Beth's back. Warmth instantly spread to that area, and Beth stood dumbfounded for a couple of seconds. Beth's body felt as though it was going absolutely crazy. She needed to act fast.

"Ready to go inside, pretty girl?" Beth winked at her teasingly and moved to hold the door open for her. Tactfully, she put her ice cream back into the bag for now. The last thing she wanted was for the people of Coldstone to flip their lids.

"Yes," Kate concluded with a smile, as she walked inside.

Beth soon bought Kate a gracious waffle cone of cherry cheesecake ice cream—Kate's favorite—with extra cherries. Once they had gotten plenty of napkins, the two girls headed outside and sat themselves on the concrete rim of a beautiful, running fountain.

"Mmmm," Beth hummed as she took the first spoonful of her own ice cream. "God, this is _so_ good! I haven't had ice cream in _forever_."

Kate giggled while her own spoon rested between her lips.

"I know! This is _delicious_," The blonde licked her lips and smiled over at Beth. "Can I try some of yours? I've never had dairy free ice cream before."

"Definitely," Beth scooped some ice cream onto her own spoon, and then held it out to Kate for her to taste. Immediately, she regretted her decision. As she watched Kate's lips gingerly close around her spoon, she felt a familiar twinge in her lower belly. Beth tried her absolute hardest to ignore that telltale feeling, but she could do little to stop her newly rapid heartbeat as she watched her best friend try some of her ice cream. Beth was in agony at the sight. Kate had gone from gorgeous to completely sexy in half a second.

_Shit!_ Beth desperately tried to will those thoughts away again. She was getting far too caught up in all of them.

A pleased noise sounded in Kate's throat as she tasted the ice cream, and Beth could only look on with a veiled expression of desire.

"That's actually really good! Really, really good!" Kate told her, as she moved back to look at her friend.

Beth nodded and pursed her lips for a moment.

"What?" Her eyes danced with playfulness. "You didn't think it would be?"

"Oh, no, Beth—"

"Shhh," Beth cooed. "I know, Kate. I just love messing with you."

Kate rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"I really should be used to your tricks by now," she said with a grin.

"No," Beth shook her head. "Then it'd never be exciting _or_ new!"

Kate said nothing as she wiggled her eyebrows and licked her ice cream. Beth reminded herself to breathe. In that moment, Beth watched her with candid appreciation. She giggled once and softly, and then looked away, her heels clacking against the wall of the fountain.

"I'm really glad I got to see you tonight," Beth admitted gently.

Kate's eyes moved quickly over to Beth. Beth felt instant gratification at the faint blush that teased Kate's cheeks.

"Me too," Kate took another taste of her ice cream before continuing. "Work was killing me. My feet are throbbing." A laugh escaped her.

Beth snickered.

"I could always give you a foot massage. What're friends for, right?" A smirk dappled Beth's expression. She knew that giving Kate a foot massage would hardly be something innocent.

"Gosh, that sounds amazing, actually," Kate gushed, a giggle soon following. "I seriously can't feel them at all!"

"Then, let's do it now!"

"Beth, no!"

Kate squealed as Beth set down her carton of ice cream and began to reach for her feet. Beth was grinning wildly now. Just the idea of touching any part of Kate's soft, tempting skin gave her a rush.

"Come on!" Beth smirked, her fingers wrapping around Kate's ankle tightly. Kate screeched in surprise and reared backward, toward the fountain. The brunette immediately reached for her friend, grasping onto her arm before she fell in.

"Be careful, silly," Beth chided her playfully.

Kate was breathing heavily from all of her giggles.

"Beth, I swear… I'm so ticklish on my legs!"

"Really?" purred Beth, her fingertips trailing up Kate's ankle, past the jeans that concealed them. It went unnoticed how dangerously she bent over.

"Beth!" Kate squeaked the word as she tried fruitlessly to yank her leg away.

"I promised you a foot massage," Beth spoke charmingly.

"But—!"

"Katie…" Beth trilled, her husky voice sounding even more alluring. Their eyes locked briefly, and Beth felt something similar to lightning striking in the pit of her stomach. Her head lurched, and her mouth grew dry instantaneously.

Kate must have felt the intensity of the moment, because she jerked her head away, her gaze falling to the ground.

"Look at me," Beth prompted, her green eyes shimmering with curiosity and emotion. Her own unease was beginning to gnaw at her insides. Something had to be done.

Kate was visibly hesitant, Beth noted; however, after a moment, the pretty blonde looked at her friend with her gorgeous, rounded blue eyes.

"Now let me see your pretty, little foot, Kate Emily Spencer!" Beth shrieked suddenly, causing Kate to jerk and squirm.

"No! No!" Kate howled with laughter. Her ice cream (which was amazingly _still_ poised in her right hand) was teetering dangerously toward the ground, but neither girl took any notice.

Beth, who had now successfully taken Kate's leg onto her lap, grinned with tangible satisfaction.

"I've got yo—"

Just as Beth gloated on her victory, Kate unintentionally kicked her leg. Beth let out something along the lines of a husky squeal, and then wobbled backward into the water of the large fountain.

Beth landed ungracefully, her legs propped up, against the fountain. Water splashed in all directions, and Kate immediately dropped her ice cream on the ground as she covered her mouth in hushed shock.

"Oh, my gosh!" Kate squeaked and leapt into action. "Beth, here, let me—"

Beth began to giggle. The water was filthy, and it reeked of sewage. The last thing she wanted was for Kate to smell the same.

"It's okay," Beth spoke over the noise of the water. It sounded louder than ever now, perhaps because the filter was mere inches from her backside.

"Beth, oh, my gosh… I'm so sorry!" Kate's face was dark red with embarrassment. "I'll help you! Give me your hand!"

Kate extended her hand, as if to better emphasize her demands, and Beth merely watched her.

"I can get up," Beth insisted with a grin. "I don't want you to smell like shit, too."

Kate bit her lip, looking cute and distressed. Beth's grin grew ten times its size now.

"Beth, it's okay. I mean, it was m-my fault, and…" Kate was crawling over the fountain's edge now, her covered knees pressed against the rough concrete.

"Kate, I don't think that's a good idea," Beth warned her gently, as she pushed herself up, trying to stand. Rusting, stray coins and manmade algae prevented her from doing so, and she silently cursed. "I'm fine, really."

Kate looked at Beth long and hard. For a moment, it looked as though she was about to cry. Beth blinked with concern.

"Kate, what's wrong—?"

As if to show her deference, Kate purposefully slipped into the fountain beside Beth, water flying in all directions yet again. Beth opened her mouth in shock and disbelief, but then closed it again as the foul-tasting water attempted to gain access.

"You crazy, little bitch!" Beth proclaimed in surprise and admiration. "Kate Spencer!"

Kate was laughing now, long, heartfelt laughs that shook her body to its core. Beth smiled as she watched her. She had never seen her friend have so much fun before.

"This water is awful!" Kate droned, as she cupped some in her hand and tossed it at Beth.

Beth averted her head and returned the favor.

"Yeah," said Beth, her eyes narrowed. "and if we stay long enough, we'll be in an even grosser place—" Her green eyes flickered as she tossed a stray penny past Kate's hand, intentionally missing. "—_jail_!"

"No way," Kate laughed. "We're still seventeen! If we're lucky, they'll just pack us up and ship us over to juvenile hall."

"Juvey's too good for us, Kate," Beth reproached her warmly. "They'll put us under house arrest at _my_ apartment."

Kate gasped in disapproval.

"Beth, hush!" she scooped up some water and flung it at her again.

Beth's lips creased into a fond smile. Her own legs were freezing, and she hadn't even noticed. _Mental note_, Beth reminded herself solemnly, _wear pants the next time I even think of taking Kate near a fountain_.

"Let's get out of this thing before we both catch the bird flu, or something," Beth announced, as she gripped at the side of the fountain.

Kate narrowed her eyes in confusion at Beth's prophetical diagnosis, but dismissed it with a giggle.

"Here," Beth said, as she very carefully stood herself up in the fountain and extended her hand to Kate. Slowly and delicately, Beth lifted Kate up. She was careful to keep a close watch on Kate's footing, just in case.

"Thanks," Kate smiled and brushed her blond hair behind her ears. It looked wet and sticky, but even more unbelievably gorgeous. Its natural curl was something that Beth truly admired and adored. Self-control threatened to fail her as she envisioned being able to coil her own fingers around Kate's beautiful strands of golden blond hair.

"Mmhm," Beth's words fled from her as she looked into Kate's pretty blue eyes. They were bright and alert, and abruptly Beth realized that her hold on Kate's slender wrist had sustained itself. She had yet to let go; she hadn't wanted to.

Kate's eyes stared back into hers uncertainly. Beth felt lighthearted when she thought she sensed a calm questioning in Kate's eyes. She shivered, half from cold and half from longing as she watched Kate.

"I'm cold," Kate murmured softly, as she drew her arms around herself.

Beth snapped back to attention.

"Oh!" Her voice quivered slightly. "Don't you still have my jacket in your car from a few days ago?" Beth's heart was beating so loudly she was certain that Kate could hear it. That thought only made her even more nervous.

"Yeah, I think so," Kate supplied with a gentle smile.

"Let's go, then," Beth said resolutely.

As Kate shifted, though, readying herself to get out of the fountain, her footing faltered. Beth gasped softly, her arms shooting out to grab a hold of her. She drew Kate into her arms protectively, wrapping them around her back to steady her. Beth's lower belly burned with desire as she realized that a soaking-wet Kate was suddenly pressed against her, breathing heavily with surprise.

"Are you okay?" Beth asked her hoarsely, concerned.

Kate nodded her head. Beth could feel her quickened heartbeat, however. She knew that nearly plunging back into the freezing water had jolted Kate back to attention.

"We can go back to—" Beth paused, as she helped Kate out of the fountain successfully this time. She was going to suggest that they go back to her apartment and both get showers, but even Beth knew that was wishful thinking. Kate was petrified of that section of town, and Beth didn't want to seem desperate after revealing to Kate that she had just broken up with Riley during their ride back to Kate's house within the next few minutes.

Kate blinked her eyes curiously. Beth sighed and willed a smile.

"Give me the keys," Beth held out her hand. "I'll drive you home."

"Beth, I think I can drive my own car. Just let me drive _you_ home," Kate chuckled and furrowed her eyebrows with incredulity. "Besides, how else will you get home?"

"I rode the bus over here," Beth smirked. "I'm pretty sure I can ride it back."

Kate frowned.

"No! Riding the bus late at night? Beth, that makes me nervous. Just let me drive you!"

"You've obviously never ridden on public transportation before," Beth's eyes were glistening with humor. "It's a party."

"Yeah, with really sketchy people!"

"Are you saying I'm sketchy?" Beth tried to look hurt, but only succeed in looking highly amused.

"I'm saying that I don't trust those other people with you," Kate replied quietly, her eyes full of distress. Beth knew that it would logically be easier for Kate to drive her home, but she didn't want Kate to go through the trouble of maneuvering out of Beth's area of town late at night by herself particularly when Beth knew how terrified Kate was of that district. The brunette would much rather just drive the sopping wet Kate home herself where Kate could comfortably shower and relax in her own home. In any case, Beth had no problem taking the bus.

Nevertheless, Beth's heart went out to Kate. Kate always went out of her way to make Beth feel so safe and warm and cared for. It only made Beth adore her even more. She was honestly the best friend that anyone could ever possibly wish for. Beth considered herself infinitely lucky.

"It's just too out of your way," Beth reasoned, her eyes locking with Kate's in a silent understanding.

Kate sighed. There was this unspoken agreement between the pair of them. Both Kate and she knew that Kate could and would not be able to accurately find her way through that part of town. It was that, and both girls almost knew of Kate's previously voiced fear. Beth could tell that both she and Kate were sharing similar thoughts on the matter.

"Kate," Beth's voice was gentle and filled with care. "If it really bothers you that much, I'll call Ember, okay?"

Hesitance lingered in the air. However, soon Kate sighed, despite her pouting lip of protest.

"That's better than riding the bus with bums," she decided.

Beth narrowed her eyes teasingly. Normally, she would take considerable offense to that, but she knew, understood, and respected Kate's humor and fully realized that she was just being complex and loving.

"Where do you think I became so witty?" Beth asked. "Experiences with public transportation, of course!"

Kate laughed softly and rolled her eyes.

"No," Her reply was said with the utmost affection. "I think everyone knows you were just born that way."

Beth blinked warmly at her friend before herding Kate toward her blue BMW. She opened the door for the other girl, and then motioned inside the vehicle.

"Your carriage awaits you, my lady," Beth cooed with refined pomp and circumstance.

Kate curtsied sweetly and sat down in her car, wiggling her fingers playfully at Beth.

"Thank you!"

Beth nodded, stuck her tongue out at her, shut the door behind her, and then wandered over to the driver's side of the car.

Though Beth was still sad about being unable to invite Kate over to her apartment, she took consolation in knowing that she could, at least, walk Kate up to her house and perhaps go inside for a moment. Both of the girls knew that they, unfortunately, could not spend the night together tonight. Research papers were calling them to their separate homes, a fact that Beth thoroughly cursed and condemned.

Her heart was calling her to Kate. It was frightening, but difficult to deny.

Beth felt captivated by Kate's beautiful, soft face, her beckoning curls, her gorgeous figure—those magnificent blue eyes! They all drove Beth up the wall. How had she never noticed before? Sure, there was the _Riley Complex_ in the previous days, but that saga was over now. The fires were over, and all that was left in the ashes was a beautiful angel in the form of Kate.

_Kate_. Just the name made Beth's heart surge with longing. It was forbidden. Being attracted to a best friend only intended heartbreak for a majority of cases. Yet, this felt different. Beth was drawn to her. Kate's sexuality meant nothing; in fact, it had never really crossed Beth's mind to begin with.

It would be only be even more heartbreaking for her to think that Kate was overtly heterosexual. Dread nagged at Beth's stomach. To fall for a straight girl was utterly taboo in the lesbian world, and Beth knew it. It was self-destruction, but she didn't care.

She was painfully attracted to Kate, and the fact that she knew she wasn't supposed to be only made her infatuation intensify even more.


	7. She Could Get Lost Tonight

**School is finally over! Yay. Now I just need a job, haha. Anyway, here you guys go. Thank you so much for all the encouraging reviews! I really appreciate it.**

**For Tracy: who gets all the credit for the inspiration for any and all of the future sexiness that occurs in this story. Heehee!**

* * *

About four months had passed since she had moved to Washington state. Nearly three months had gone by since she had enrolled in Forest Hills High School for her senior year. However, it had been exactly two months and twelve days since the beginning of school—since she met Beth Davis.

_September 2, 2008_: It was a date that rang clearly in Kate's mind. Happiness warmed her heart as she thought back to the first time she laid eyes on Beth.

Instantly, she had been shocked by her beauty. Those beautiful green eyes, the way her hair curled and shaped her face, her womanly and flattering figure… Beth was still the goddess that Kate saw and openly admired back in September.

Now they were best friends. Kate counted her blessings daily. Each time her eyes traced over Beth's sharp, compelling features, a feeling of blissful distress tickled at the pit of Kate's stomach. It was a thrill; it was scary as hell.

In the uncomfortable setting of Kate's third block class, she found herself nervous and jittery as she reminisced about her best friend. Part of her was exhilarated by her thoughts, while the other part of her spoke the hushed worries of what was happening to her.

Kate felt uncertain, lost even. If only Beth was here now, she rationed, as she stared blankly ahead of her. AP English IV just wasn't doing it for her today. Normally, English was one of her favorite subjects; however, all she could think about was Beth.

It wasn't weird… Was it? To think of her best friend was normal. It was completely normal. Though, she wasn't so certain about the passing images of Beth alone, in her room, grinning at her, running her fingers through her hair…

_No!_ Kate bit her bottom lip and nervously looked up at the teacher's whiteboard. She convinced herself that she just needed to relax. There was nothing wrong with thinking of her best friend in such a way. Nothing about thinking of harmlessly taking a swim with Beth, in a bikini, drenched in water—

_Oh, good Lord!_

Kate wanted to pound her fists into her desk in frustration. The images of Beth, scantily clad, plagued her conscious and subconscious mind, just waiting for their opportune moment to reappear. It made her heart beat with anxiety. Why? She had never thought of another girl this way before. Then again, she had never thought of a boy that way before, either.

Placing her number two pencil between her teeth, she chomped down on it lightly. She was nervous and needed to do anything that would keep her from chattering her teeth or willing herself into anxious hyperventilation.

Still, a single, persistent thought repeated itself over and over again inside her head: _If only Beth was here!_ Oh, yes. If only.

Kate nearly wanted to raise her hand, flag down the teacher, and politely demand a pass to excuse herself pointlessly to the girls' bathroom. Her stomach was flipping with apprehension.

Pictures of Beth flooded her mind. She was leaning over Kate, her breath warm against her skin as she pointed something out to Kate—something that Kate couldn't quite decipher or, truthfully, focus on.

Their proximities were close, painfully so. Beth's skirt was short, and her top was equally exposing. The tempting curves of her breasts were near, and in Kate's clouded fantasy, she found her subconscious self having a difficult time keeping her eyes away. It was agonizing. The fire in her stomach was strong. Her pulse was racing.

Beth was speaking to her now, her voice soft and enticing. Her green eyes sparkled in the dimly lit room as she confidently sustained Kate's near-frantic gaze.

And then the thoughts dispersed, leaving Kate entirely hot-and-bothered in her English class, a feeling that she had—horrifyingly enough—never experienced before because of another person until now.

Gathering her thoughts together, Kate blinked her eyes back to the present, despite herself. The class was finished taking notes on Medieval times, or whatever it was they were studying. Now the students were breaking off in pairs to complete a study guide for their oncoming test.

Kate had scarcely realized that a boy had come up to her and shelved his way into the seat just in front of her.

"Hi, Kate," he said, setting down his things.

Kate looked up dully and dropped her pencil from her mouth, almost embarrassed.

"Uhm," she blinked, looking at him oddly. "Hi."

"Think we could work together? I know you're really good at this kind of thing."

In a rush of slight irritation, Kate almost had the will to say 'no.' Yet, her previous thoughts reentered her mind grudgingly, and her flipping and twisting heart screamed at her to prove herself otherwise by admitting this boy to study with her.

"Okay," she sucked her breath in. "Sure."

Whatever look of pleasure that passed on the boy's face went unnoticed by Kate as she readied her blank study guide and blank sheet of loose-leaf notebook paper that _should_ have had notes all over it.

"Let's start with the Medieval hierarchy," Kate announced lamely. They were studying Medieval literature, but Kate assumed the teacher was covering this area of study as a sort of 'introduction.'

The boy looked at her with little interest in the subject, but a certain glimmer in his eyes. Kate's skin was beginning to crawl.

"Okay, so… of course, you have kings, queens, and their heirs, but what comes after that?" she continued to quiz him, if only to keep the personal parts of their conversations at bare minimum.

"I don't know," the boy shrugged plainly. "Knights?"

Kate narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"No…" she realized that she was starting to feel the early pangs of anger, and this boy had done nothing wrong.

Sighing, she began to explain the typical hierarchy from those times. As if to better emphasize her growing annoyance, the boy stared at her the entire time, either looking thoughtful or disturbing.

"Kate?"

"What?" Kate unintentionally snapped, before catching herself and issuing a tiny smile in a quick act of unenthusiastic reconciliation.

"Well…" The boy looked unsure of himself. Kate narrowed her eyes. _Just spit it out!_ was what she wanted to yell at him.

"I was wondering," he began, his eyebrows knitting in the most infuriating of ways. Kate cringed. _Just say it! _she screamed desperately inside her head.

"Yeah?" Kate prompted, as nicely as she could manage.

"Would you… maybe like to go out sometime? Tonight?" His words were jumbled and quick, but Kate understood every one of them. Her stomach flipped with disgust.

She had to prove something to herself, though. These thoughts of Beth—they had to be countered, somehow. She wasn't… well—Kate clammed up as the unspoken idea struck her _hard_.

"Yes."

The word tumbled from Kate's mouth. _Yes_? What in the world was she thinking? Her eyes didn't betray the mounting feeling of confusion that pierced her mind. But, she didn't want to go! Kate wanted to sigh and slump back in her seat. The thought of going out with this boy made her feel wretched and hopeless.

"Great!" the boy was beaming, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "Do you want me to pick you up, or…?"

"I'll just meet you," Kate droned miserably. Unsurprisingly, the boy didn't even notice her evident plight.

"Cool," he decided with a large grin. "Maybe… we could eat at Mainstreet?"

"Sounds great," Kate murmured with a sigh.

Out of nowhere, Beth entered her mind again. Her presence was alluring. Her eyes were shining in the dim light of dusk. The beautiful scent that radiated off Beth reminded Kate of various flowers of nature. It was addictive and unforgiving, immediately taking hold of Kate's known consciousness.

Kate felt weak and dizzy as she watched Beth's tempting silhouette; it was _just_ out of Kate's reach. Unprecedented arousal clawed at the pit of Kate's stomach just as the mental fantasy dispersed.

"Kate?"

How long that boy had been calling her name, Kate would probably never know.

"Yes?" Kate replied finally and distractedly.

"I said, 'Is seven o'clock good'?"

"Yes, that's fine."

The boy smiled and offered her a piece of paper. Kate tried not to scowl when she realized that it had his phone number on it.

"Call me if you need to," he offered pointlessly.

Kate merely nodded. Her heart was still beating three times faster than normal.

She felt an infinite amount of guilt. She didn't even want to go out with this boy.

_Oh, Beth! Where are you now?_

*** * ***

Kate couldn't even remember when this 'date' started. Was it when he called, asking if she was ready mid-hairbrush stroke? Or perhaps it was the time when she met him at the door and caught a curious look from Lori as they departed.

Regardless of when it actually began, to Kate, everything ran together in a rush of boredom and fear. This boy was actually nice and gentlemanly. Why couldn't she just enjoy herself and relax? This was her first date, after all. She supposed that she should feel excited, but she didn't. In fact, she felt bothered and testy. One look from the boy across the table and a sickening feeling returned to her stomach.

Guiltily, though, Kate had texted Beth before her date. Beth had been very supportive, even happy about Kate's night out with this boy whom she barely even knew. The text played in Kate's head loud and clear: _gr8 job, sweetie! my girl's such a sexy catch. ;-) i'm totally jealous of him rite now._

With little remorse, Kate wondered if there was any truth in that text. Her cheeks flushed with color as she thought of how Beth had called her 'sexy.' It was something that Beth did all of the time, presumably without thinking. Still, Kate found her heart fluttering with delight at the idea. Surely Beth wouldn't say such a thing so lightly. Despite her joking nature, Beth was the most genuine person Kate had ever met. She always meant what she said—the good and the bad, even if the latter was few and far between.

Still, part of her wanted Beth to be, well, jealous of her date tonight. Beth and Kate always spent time together on nights like this. So, Beth had to miss that tonight. Kate was certain of it. Kate knew that now, more than ever, she missed being with Beth. She was completely out of her comfort zone right now, nearly to the point of tears.

No! Kate inwardly reprimanded herself. This was a good date. The boy had been nothing but sweet to her. She was having fun; there was no question about it.

As she glanced over at the boy, who sat smiling across from her, she willed the tiniest of smiles. Her lips pursed tightly together as she thought of how forced this date felt. What did that mean, anyway? He was being nothing but nice to her, and yet Kate found herself longing for their food to arrive as quickly as possible.

Their exchange of casual conversation made her stomach ache with uncomfortable sentiments. Tugs of displeasure in her abdomen threatened to call her to the bathroom, if only to falsely excuse her earlier lunch of making her feel ill. However, somehow Kate willed herself to stay—mainly because of the useless pep talk that she kept repeating to herself inside her mind.

_This is your first date. This boy is nice. You can talk to Beth later. This is fun. Act excited!_

But she wanted to talk to Beth _now_. And this wasn't fun. And she wasn't excited. Kate withheld a sigh as the waiter brought them her food. She had blindly ordered a cheeseburger and some fries. She wasn't sure what he had ordered, and she couldn't will herself to look over and find out.

Kate nibbled silently on her fries, not even bothering to dip them ketchup as she usually would. This was almost unbearable for her. However, she still felt bad, especially for the boy that looked on with concern in his eyes. This wasn't his fault. This wasn't anyone's fault. This just… was.

Why Kate felt so confused in the first place thoroughly frustrated her. Even just seven or eight months ago, she would have probably been thrilled at the aspect of someone being interested in her. Though, this was in spite of the fact that she could safely say that she had never truly thought of being with anyone, regardless of their gender. Now she was just perplexed and afraid. She wanted to enjoy this, to be happy and honored that this boy had asked her out on a date, but she couldn't force herself to feel that way, no matter how determined she was to do so.

_Beth_. What was she doing right now? Kate felt compelled to text her. Nevertheless, she was entirely aware of how rude that was, and she wasn't about to compromise someone else's feelings just because she was a case of ruthless inner turmoil.

Kate sighed, relenting. The small talk that she was being forced to carry on with this boy was growing thin. It was obvious that this was only going to wind up with both of them feeling uncomfortable. At best, this was a wrongfully initiated date. Or, was Kate just being cynical? The blonde openly furrowed her eyebrows.

How long had they been here, anyway?

"Kate?" the boy began to speak quietly at first, his expression somewhat afflicted. He looked as though he was about to continue talking, but Kate realized that he was hooked on her name and had no intention of pursuing the venture any further.

"I'm sorry," Kate giggled, despite herself. She knew that she sounded ridiculous now. "I'm just a little tired, is all."

"It's okay," he shrugged. "You just look… I don't know."

Kate licked her lips, a fire burning in her stomach that suggested that she felt irritated that he would dare bring her mood up.

"I'm having a great time," she lied, her eyes as bright as her heart was heavy.

It was a good thing this boy didn't know her well, because he merely smiled in response. Evidently that answer was enough to satisfy him. Kate inwardly marveled at his simple-minded nature.

"Good," he decided, still smiling to himself.

"Yeah," Kate agreed, the awkwardness rearing its ugly head once again.

They had finished their meals now. It was difficult to believe that this act of stop-and-go had persisted for nearly forty-five minutes now. Kate was astonished by her brainpower. She clearly handled mental torture better than she had originally thought.

Slipping her cell phone (which she had previously used to check the time) back into her purse, she frowned and heaved a sigh as she realized that she had no texts from Beth. Had she made her upset, possibly? The blonde looked across the table again. Her date was looking around, trying to act composed, no doubt.

"Hey," Kate called, summoning his attention. "This… has been great, but I really need to get back home. I have to study and stuff."

_And stuff? Kate, what is wrong with you!_ Kate bit the inside of her bottom lip. She had never been too skilled at lying. Though, she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

The boy's eyes flashed briefly with an emotion that Kate couldn't quite place. He was soon laughing slightly, though, and Kate supposed that was a good sign.

"Okay," he said finally. "I'll pick up the check."

_You do that_, Kate mused, looking away. Normally, she would have taken a stand and insisted that she paid for it, but right now all she could think about was getting out of here as soon as possible.

As soon as he had paid for their food, she bid him goodbye without so much as a hug and jetted out of there. At long last, she was freed from her shackles. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was skinning its deadly claws into her heart.

She was disappointed in herself, for one. He had been nice to her the entire time, and she had ignored him to a glorified degree. For two, she was upset that she hadn't enjoyed it. It was her first date, and now she would always remember how she couldn't get her mind off her best friend, what she was doing, and who she was with.

All throughout the date, those images had returned.

Beth's lips lingered close to her neck while her eyes were narrowed to seductive slits. In her fantasy, Kate tilted her head somewhat, giving the other girl complete access. The willing brunette responded to this with a coy smirk as she curled her fingertips against Kate's bare shoulders.

As her tantalizing thoughts dissolved away for the hundredth time that night, Kate nearly tripped over her own feet. Her entire body felt hot and flushed both with embarrassment and… something else—something far more alarming.

She needed to go _now_.

Fumbling with her cell phone, she clumsily pressed one of her speed dial numbers. As she calmed her heavy breathing, she bit her lip. Waiting for those two initial rings was beyond the torment of her date.

However, as soon as a familiar voice answer, Kate's body shuddered visibly as she leaned against her car.

"Hey," she breathed into the receiver.

There was a tiny pause before a question of concern was posed. Kate merely swallowed, as she bit back tears of frustrated.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she murmured. "My date's over."

Kate waited for a moment, her mind reeling. She was suddenly glad that she was leaning against her car for support, lest she wind up doubled over on the sidewalk.

"Listen," Kate started again, her voice quivering. "I know it's kind of late, but… but could please come over? I really need—I just really want to see you right now."

As Kate listened to the adoring reply on the other end of the line, she nodded her head, affirming the notion to herself.

"Thank you," she replied softly. "I'll see you soon. 'Bye."

Clicking her phone off, she sighed, blinking her eyes several times to rid them of the tears that were so intent on falling. Everything was going to be all right now, she reasoned with herself, as she climbed into the driver's seat of her car.

Just a few more minutes, and she would be home—where, hopefully, everything would make much more sense.

*** * ***

Kate's stomach flipped as she parked her car outside her house. From where she was now, she could clearly see someone pacing worriedly on her porch. She undid her seatbelt and gradually slipped out of her car, her hands trembling slightly. After she had shrugged her purse onto her shoulder, she gathered her nerves and began toward her front porch.

"Kate!"

The declaration of her name sent shivers down Kate's spine. She found herself about to cry as she began the longest walk in history up her steps.

"Thank you so much for coming, Beth," Kate whispered softly, as she realized she was unable to meet her Beth's concerned gaze.

"Good God, Kate! Did you think I wouldn't? Honey, are you okay?" Beth's eyes were wide with apprehension as she rushed forward and drew Kate into her arms. "What happened?"

"I just—"

"Kate, if that bastard hurt you, I swear to God!"

"No," Kate's voice broke as she shook her head. She laid her head on Beth's shoulder and breathed in deeply. The alluring scent of Beth's perfume tickled her nose. Soon those visions of Beth's lips loitering so close to her own filled Kate's mind, and she jerked back slightly, much to Beth's surprise.

"Well, what happened?" Beth demanded warmly, her hands holding onto Kate's arms protectively.

"He was really nice, Beth," Kate choked out the words, finally unable to control herself as tears trailed down her flushed face.

Beth was immediately on the defensive. Licking her lips anxiously, Beth traced her thumb over Kate's cheek, catching Kate's tears as they fell.

"Okay," Beth reasoned gently, taking Kate's hands in hers.

"I just… gosh, it was awful!" Kate blurted out. "I didn't enjoy it at all. I felt like I was being tortured."

Beth's frowned deepened.

"Oh, honey," she cooed, rubbing Kate's back warmly as she drew her into her arms yet again. "It's okay. He just wasn't for you, that's all. You don't have to get so upset about it, babe," Beth pulled back to look at Kate with a tender smile. "Do I need to go and kick his ass for you, babe?"

"No," Kate wiped her eyes and sniffed. "It sucks that he was actually nice. I guess… I just…"

"What, Katie?" Beth asked soothingly. Kate's lips turned upward in a pleasant smile. She had always loved when Beth used that beloved nickname. It truly warmed her heart.

"I couldn't get my mind off—" Kate paused. What was she doing? There was no way on earth that she was going to tell Beth about her wandering mind. Her cheeks turned an embarrassing shade of red. "I'm just confused."

Beth ushered Kate over to her porch swing and sat her down, taking her best friend's hands in hers.

"What about?" Beth prompted, blinking over at Kate curiously.

"It's just… this was my first date," Kate told her quietly. "I thought I was supposed to feel excited, but I just felt miserable."

"That's okay," Beth chuckled and squeezed Kate's hands affectionately. "You're not going to always feel butterflies and fireworks, sweetheart."

Kate's belly lurched with emotion. She would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that her stomach was presently crawling with butterflies and erupting with fireworks of passion. Fear gnawed at her mind. Was what Beth was saying really true? Was she speaking from experience? Kate blinked.

"I know," Kate admitted almost inaudibly. "I just didn't care for him at all. I thought I was supposed to feel… honored or at least kind of attracted to him, but… I didn't."

Kate knew that she was really risking Beth figuring her out, but she almost didn't mind. She just couldn't bring herself to admit it directly.

Watching as Beth studied her with warmth and interest, Kate swallowed nervously again. There had been countless occasions where Kate had longed to know precisely what was going through Beth's mind, but she wished for that now more than ever.

"That's still okay, Kate," Beth advised her fondly, after a moment. "He won't be the last one that makes you feel this way."

Aggravation pried at Kate's mind.

"But—" Kate sighed and looked to her feet. "What if… what if I didn't feel attracted to the idea of going out again." _with a boy_. Kate cursed herself for being too timid to finish that sentence.

Beth blinked her eyes and tilted her head somewhat. Before she answered, she pushed her curly brown hair behind her ears and continued to look thoughtful.

"Then, you could always be asexual!" Beth laughed and tickled the palm of Kate's hand with her fingers. "That's perfectly okay, too. You shouldn't feel like you _have_ to date anyone, Kate."

Kate sighed heavily again. This wasn't getting anywhere fast. She wished more than anything that Beth could understand what she was trying to convey, regardless of how vague Kate was currently being.

"I don't _want_ to be asexual," Kate said somewhat sadly. Being asexual sounded like a gift from above at this point. At least then she wouldn't feel so wretched and mystified. "I _am_ attracted to some people, that's the thing. I'm just really confused."

"'Some people?'" Beth took her turn looking confused. "Kate… what do you mean, exactly?"

Kate's heart was drumming loudly in her chest. She felt choked up and afraid. The look in Beth's eyes reflected her own confusion and alarm. Maybe Kate was being more obvious than she originally intended.

"I-I… I don't know," Kate confessed, her breathing becoming more strained as she forced herself to hold Beth's gaze.

This moment was excruciating for Kate. Frighteningly enough, she found it extremely difficult to pry her eyes away from Beth's tempting and perfect-looking lips. She was scared—more scared than she had ever felt in her life. This couldn't be normal. She wasn't supposed to feel this way.

"Katie," Beth's voice was a soft and comforting coo. Kate realized that her panic must be showing in her eyes. She licked her lips again and looked up at her best friend with pleading gaze.

In an heartbeat, Beth had her left hand's fingers twined with Kate's in a reassuring manner. Heat immediately rushed to that part of Kate's body, causing her to want to rear back in alarm. However, Kate kept herself calm for the time being. She watched Beth with a veiled look of concern and desire, her eyes blinking rarely as she found herself back in the midst of one of her seductive and dark fantasies.

Suddenly, the pair of them weren't outside anymore. They were in Kate's room, and the lights were dim. Shadows danced and stretched along the darkened blue shade of Kate's walls.

Kate sat on her bed, her eyes clouded with obvious yearning. She searched out for the object of her desire, only to find Beth sitting directly next to her, her eyes dark with longing. Beth's fingertips curled against Kate's bare thigh now, causing Kate's eyes to roll back slightly in delight. A soft whimper sounded from her, and Beth took this as a wonderful sign.

Sighing quietly, Kate grasped at Beth's arm, urging her to continue, begging for contact. In that moment, Beth's eyes fluttered halfway closed as she leaned forward at such an agonizingly slow pace that it gradually began to drive Kate crazy. Her stomach was aflame with arousal as Beth's lips stopped mere centimeters from her own.

But, suddenly, Kate realized something. The darkness of her fantasy faded to the obscurity of the night as Beth and her sat side-by-side on the porch still. Beth's fingers had somehow found their way amongst the soft and pretty strands of Kate's blond hair. Kate shuddered, her eyes flying open instantaneously.

Disbelief flooded through her as she saw that Beth's lips were only a couple of centimeters from her own. Kate could have fainted, simply by how quickly her heart was beating.

In an instant, Beth must have realized what had happened, because she sharply pulled away from Kate. For the first time in Kate's life, she thought that she spotted a look of embarrassment and a tint of redness on her best friend's face. Silence pierced both of them like a thorn.

"I—" Beth blinked her eyes several times, visibly distressed by what she had almost just done. "I'm sorry, Kate. I, uh—you… you probably need to just rest." Her words were rushed; Kate frowned.

Thoughts floated in Kate's mind, refusing to allow her beating heart to slow its pace. Why had Beth stopped? Her mind screamed, frightening Kate even further. Had that really just happened? _Oh, God_.

"I need to go," Beth announced in a rush, as she let Kate's hand slip from hers. Kate realized that Beth's hands were clammy and shaking somewhat. "I'm sorry. I just—I have to go and meet my sister. Call me, okay?"

Kate watched helplessly as Beth murmured a quick and final goodbye before hurriedly walking over to her Escalade, climbing inside, and starting it.

As soon as Beth's car was out of sight, Kate shuddered again. She wasn't sure what to believe. She was upset that Beth had left her in such a disarray; however, at the same time, she was almost glad that her fantasy hadn't thrown itself into reality. Her fantasies made her ill at ease and flustered; she wasn't at all ready for them to verify their authenticity by shoving themselves into her daily life.

She was far from ready to admit that her fantasies were anything more than just stress or misconstrued thoughts.

Besides, it wasn't as though she was gay, or anything.


	8. Something Always Brings Me Back to You

**Thank you for all the wonderful, magnificent feedback! :) My muse is on a roll. I have brilliant plans for these lovely girls.**

**Thank _you_, Tracy, darling. You helped me immensely with this chapter, my love! You are truly my muse and inspiration.**

* * *

Beth slouched in a heap of annoyance on her couch, her legs folded carelessly beneath her. Running her tongue over her lips, she sighed heavily, her eyes looking about ready to pop out of her head in a rush of paranoia and anxiety.

_What's wrong with me? _The question resonated in Beth's mind. _You can't just go around trying to kiss your _straight_ best friend, Beth. Life doesn't work that way._

Sure, it didn't. Beth sighed and squeezed her green eyes shut in an attempt to relax. It had been more than an hour and a half since she had left Kate's house. She had tried everything to calm her nerves: mediating, incense, soothing music—nothing was working for her. All she could think about was her stupid, insensitive mistake.

_That's right_, Beth jibed herself inwardly. _Remember who screwed up the relationship next time you see her._

"God," Beth groaned to herself. "Why are women so damn complicated?"

"Lay off the weed, sis," Ember whirred, causing Beth to nearly leap from her uncomfortably comfortable possible on the couch. "You're talking to yourself again."

"No one asked you to listen," Beth shot back tensely, though with that veiled sensitivity that showed she was kidding.

"What kind of lesbian melodrama do I get to hear about today?" Ember asked, as she straddled the leg of the couch idly.

"Nothing," Beth retorted defensively. "Everything's fine."

Beth watched as Ember glanced over her own shoulder distractedly, as though she had forgotten something. A moment later, her sister was on her feet again, in preparation to do something or another.

"Sky, I know you take me for a dumbass, but—" Ember waggled her index finger at Beth threateningly. "—_don't_. Now, what's going on with you?" Good-natured irritation revealed itself in her characteristically rough voice.

"I'm just an idiot!" Beth exclaimed with a loud groan. "I just screwed up _really_ bad, Em."

Ember tilted her head and moved over absentmindedly into their tiny kitchenette.

"Explain," the pink-and-black-haired young woman decided, as she began to root through the fridge.

Beth narrowed her eyes in her sister's general direction and drew her legs up close to her, wrapping her arms around them.

"I just… I don't know," Beth murmured, feeling hopeless.

What had happened, anyway? One moment, Kate's eyes had fluttered close—and the next, Beth had felt a rush of emotion, an unavoidable desire to kiss her. Beth's stomach flipped with anticipation as she recalled the almost-kiss. It made her crawl with nervousness and fear. Had she ruined their friendship?

Beth frowned, a deep pang of sorrow raking through her body suddenly. If she lost Kate, she wasn't sure what she would do.

"Well?" Ember prompted, reappearing in the living area that Beth was presently in, with a mug of something or another in her right hand.

"I… almost kissed Kate," Beth admitted, still feeling the sting of her words.

Ember just looked at her for a moment, her hazel eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What's your point?" her sister wondered blandly.

Beth felt anger flare in her stomach.

"You don't get it, do you? She's straight!" Beth barked unnecessarily. "She'll probably never talk to me again."

Ember rolled her eyes and took a sip of whatever it was she was drinking. Beth couldn't help but feel another rush of rage pass through her. Why was her sister even indulging her with this conversation if she didn't care to listen? She frowned once again.

"You're overreacting," Ember told her bluntly. "Kate's your best friend, right?" her sister made it obvious that the question was rhetorical as she heavily plopped down on the couch next to Beth. "Well, then she won't give a shit whether or not you tried to make a move on her."

"Says you," Beth countered, rolling her eyes at the other girl. "Kate's fragile, Em."

"Being 'fragile' doesn't mean she's ignorant," Ember looked irritated. "She's friends with _you_, isn't she?"

Beth narrowed her eyes again distastefully. What had her sister meant by that, anyway? Ember knew that Kate and Beth were inseparable. Was she insinuating that Kate wouldn't be her friend for some reason? Ember certainly had _some_ nerve—Beth stopped. She was being far too sensitive and painfully hormonal. She really needed to relax.

"Yeah," Beth mumbled, after a long silence.

"There you go," Ember offered indifferently. "You're kind of an asshole, kind of a flower child freak, and kind of impulsive, Sky. She's a saint for putting up with you. What makes you think she's going to give up now, after all the time she's spent, dealing with your bullshit?"

Beth was used to her sister's brash way of speaking. It was endearing to her, in a strange way. However, Ember's words struck her deeply: she was right. Beth knew that Kate cared deeply for her. The looks that Kate gave her told Beth that much.

Kate would understand. If anything, why freak out when Beth wasn't even sure of Kate's view on it all? Beth smiled and shook her head.

"Em, you're _kind of_ a backwards bitch, but… you're right," Beth admitted with a purposefully overly dramatic sigh.

Ember took a gracious sip from her mug and shrugged nonchalantly.

"What can I say? When my baby sister screams for advice: I listen; I give; and I succeed," Ember jabbed Beth with her elbow.

"Sure," Beth laughed, knowing full well that this was far from the truth.

"So, now that we've got your drama out of the way," Ember began, causing Beth to glance at her uncertainly through the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, no," Beth breathed sardonically, and then turned her body so that she could see her sister better.

"Gavin's on his way over," Ember told her plainly.

Beth narrowed her eyes, but otherwise refused to indulge that notion. Ember was quick, though, and hardly missed her sister's obvious disapproval.

"Look, I knew you'd be pissed about it," she rolled her eyes. "So, how about you just go hang out somewhere cool, all right? I have twenty dollars from work, and—"

"Don't worry about it," Beth said hurriedly, as she pushed herself up and off the couch. She tried to hide her hurt and anger over the situation. "I'll just… find something to do myself."

"Sky, remember, it's—like—" Ember looked to the nearest clock. "Almost eleven o'clock at night. Don't piss off the cops, or anything."

"I won't," Beth replied bitterly, as she trudged toward her room to retrieve her laptop and coat. "When is he leaving?" Her voice called.

"I dunno," Ember shrugged to herself. "He'll probably spend the night."

Beth frowned and paused in mid-step. With a sigh of defeat, she allowed her shoulders to slump.

"Okay," Beth called sullenly. "That's fine."

Realizing that there was no sense in trying to gather up her things for a brief outing, Beth snatched up her wallet and cell phone and exited her room, locking her door behind her.

"Stay _out_ of my room," Beth warned her sister, her green gaze searing her.

Ember narrowed her eyes, but held her hands up in compromise.

"Hey," she said. "We'll only be in mine."

Beth just sighed and headed toward the front door. The urge to call Kate was strong, but she wasn't even sure if that was a viable option anymore.

*** * ***

A day had passed since their awkward scene on Kate's porch, and Kate's mind was still caught up in a daze. They had barely texted, much less talked since then.

Beth had uncomfortably called Kate to check on her this morning, but Kate could easily pinpoint the sadness and regret in her voice, as well as a considerable amount of physical exhaustion. She had been tempted to ask why, but she had decided against it.

The logical and empathetic part of Kate wanted to tell Beth that she was coming over, that she didn't care that they had almost kissed. After all, they were best friends. However, the confused and irrational part of Kate worried that her obvious feelings for Beth would only worsen their current situation.

Therefore, she had decided to swipe her mother's grocery list and get out of her house. Kate felt ill that her mother was out with yet another unknown man, so she supposed that productivity would ease all of her woes.

As she slipped into the store, she grabbed a grocery cart and gazed at the list curiously.

"Nice," Kate commented sarcastically to herself.

The list was ten words long at best: cake mix, chocolate icing, ice cream, sprinkles, Snickers, Skittles, M&Ms, Airheads, steak, fish sticks, and coffee mix.

Kate's nose wrinkled in disbelief.

_Really, Mom?_

Smiling to herself, she shook her head and continued to cruise down the aisles with her cart. She supposed it wouldn't hurt if she picked up some food that wouldn't give them both heart attacks.

Stifling a yawn, Kate made her way down the aisles, subconsciously ignoring the chicken, beef, and pork as she passed the processed meats section. Looking ahead of herself, she paused when she reached the fruit yogurts.

Her house hadn't had these in a while. Shoveling a few into her cart, she kept on going, steering away from the cheeses as she made her way down the cereal aisle.

Strangely, Kate couldn't help but think that she had eyes on her. Ever since she had gotten out of her car, she had felt as though she was being watched. Even now, as she picked through the boxes of cereal, she found herself glancing around, checking to see if anyone was around.

Of course, there was no one there. In her line of sight, anyway.

"Kate!" called a voice, almost entirely foreign to the blonde.

Kate withheld a squeak of surprise as she allowed the Lucky Charms that she was holding to fall to the ground. Sharply turning her head, she couldn't help but stare in complete incredulity at the person who had called her name.

"R-Riley?" Kate's eyes were wide with shock.

"Hey, sorry," Riley told her, as she bent down to pick up the box of cereal that Kate had dropped. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's… okay," Kate fibbed, adding a shrug. What was Beth's ex-girlfriend doing here, talking to _her_, of all people?

In silence, Kate placed the box back on the shelf, unwilling to take it home after all the commotion.

"So," Riley began, her eyes never once leaving Kate. "I just wanted to say 'I'm sorry.'"

Kate narrowed her eyes. She didn't know Riley personally. Beth, despite rather mean scenes Kate had witnessed Riley playing in, had never said anything terribly unkind about her ex-girlfriend. In fact, Beth had rarely mentioned her at all.

"Uh…" Kate was at a loss for words. "For what?"

"I don't know," Riley shrugged. With a sigh, she continued: "I've just felt so awful since… well, since Beth and I broke up. It really hurts, you know?"

Kate blinked. Perhaps it was just her natural pull, but Kate had always searched for the positive traits in everyone. Riley was no different. Reluctantly, Kate realized that she was beginning to feel pity for the other blonde.

Taking this cue, Riley propped her hand on one of her hips.

"I just didn't want you to think I was this… _horrible_ person," she reasoned. "I mean, you're Beth's… best friend. I still want to be friends with her, too."

Kate's heart was beating wildly. There was something strange about being around Beth's ex-girlfriend. Was there some sort of taboo about talking to your best friend's ex? Kate didn't know, honestly. This established best friend 'thing' was still quite novel to her.

"I-I… I never thought you were," Kate said truthfully, her eyebrows knitting together. "Beth's… never said anything bad about you, either."

Riley, for a moment, looked genuinely surprised. Though, after a small laugh, she reinforced her theory with a smile.

"I know," Riley told her. "Beth's a really nice person, isn't she?" Her eyes were suddenly filled with what Kate recognized to be sadness. "I don't blame her, or anything."

Kate tilted her head and found her grip tightening on the bar of her grocery cart. She felt bad for Riley. She looked as though she was entirely affected by not being in a relationship with Beth anymore. She looked… heartbroken.

"Yes, she is," Kate replied, still feeling a little confused about this whole situation.

"You two still hang out, right?" Riley wondered casually, before laughing again. "No, of course you do. You're always together."

There was something bizarre about this whole ordeal. Kate couldn't even begin to pretend that this was natural.

"I, ah—" Kate paused, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. This is all… a little—"

"Weird?" Riley grinned. "Kate, I'm Beth's friend, too. You don't have to feel weird around me."

"I guess so…" Kate's voice was full of hesitance. She needed to talk to Beth. In a way, she felt immensely guilty for talking to Riley so candidly. Yet, it wasn't as though she was betraying Beth, or anything. She would never do that.

Riley reached out, touching Kate's arm gently. Kate looked at her awkwardly, forcing the smallest of smiles.

"Look, Kate," Riley began, watching Kate with a gaze that never seemed to waver. "Why don't we hang out more, get to know each other?" she smiled. "We can start over—be friends."

_Be friends?_ Kate's head was reeling. What was going on? First, Beth and she had almost kissed. Now Riley Matthews—Beth's ex-girlfriend, the girl who had openly struck her down upon first meeting her—wanted to _hang out_ with her. Was this even happening right now? Kate almost felt as though she needed to just get away, to lie down somewhere.

"Riley, uh…" Kate narrowed her eyes, feeling more than just a little uncomfortable. "I don't really know you that well."

Riley's lips tightened to form what Kate assumed was supposed to constitute a smile.

"That's why we should hang out," Riley announced with that curious grin. "I already have your number. So, I can text you, and we'll make plans."

Kate's pulse was quickening. She was getting an unnerving rush from all of this.

"How did you—"

"Beth gave it to me," Riley admitted quickly, laughing it off. "Well, I kind of saw it in her phone, you know. I asked if I could have it."

"Oh," Kate's shoulders fell somewhat; she supposed that was all right. Though, that seemed a bit out of character for Beth.

"So, you up for it?" Riley asked again, this time stepping closer to Kate.

Kate wanted to step back, away from her, but she refrained.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm… really busy. Semester exams are almost here," Kate replied anxiously. She wasn't exactly lying. Her loyalty to Beth just ran too deep.

Riley instantly began to frown. She swallowed hard and looked away. Kate's mouth slipped open ever so slightly. She hoped that she hadn't upset or offended her.

"Oh," Riley murmured dejectedly. "I get it."

"No, it's not that I—" Kate paused, trying to figure out what she was trying to say to the other girl. "I'm just so busy, and—"

"Kate, just say that you don't want to," Riley shrugged her purse back onto her shoulder, preparing to leave.

"No!" Kate defended herself swiftly. "I didn't say that at all."

"Is this because of how I yelled at you that one time?" Riley wondered, out of the blue. "Kate, I'm really sorry. That was _so_ long ago."

Kate couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger. 'Yelling at' her was a severe understatement. 'Verbally assaulting' her sounded more like the truth, in Kate's eyes.

"No, Riley," Kate sighed, licking her lips nervously. "It's not that."

"What is it?" Riley asked, still frowning.

This was so wrong. Kate could feel the guilt creeping all over her skin, twisting its way into her very core. This wasn't right. Somehow, she felt as though this would be treading in bad territory. Beth wouldn't like this. _No_, Kate told herself, _Beth wouldn't care. Beth has no bad feelings for anyone._

"Actually," Kate forced the word out of her mouth. "Sure. We can hang out."

Riley's eyes seemed to glimmer with delight.

"_Really_?" Riley squeaked out the word before throwing her arms around Kate excitedly. "That's great! I'll just text you later, okay?"

Kate remained as stiff as possible as Riley hugged her. All that was evident on Kate's expression was an uncomfortable smile.

"Yes," Kate replied, trying to keep herself from sighing. "Okay."

"See you later, Katie!" Riley called over her shoulder, as she trudged away, her strangely empty cart in tow.

Kate cringed. That nickname worked with no one other than Beth. Her guilt returned to her, fresh and strong, as the uncalled-for nickname resonated within her head. Trying to ignore it, Kate pushed her cart along.

She busied herself with shopping, hoping to rid herself of the guilt that was gnawing away at her conscience.

*** * ***

Seven texts. That was all she had gotten from Kate all day. Beth sighed, her chin resting on her arms, that had drawn her legs up close to her.

This was the second night that she had spent in the lobby. She hadn't slept virtually a wink, but she certainly preferred it to being around her sister's asinine boyfriend.

The lobby of the apartment was cold and dirty-looking, but Beth didn't care. Staring at her phone, she realized that it was ten o'clock at night. Kate would still be awake, she decided, probably studying or having a snack.

With a frown, she slid her phone open and stared at the keypad. How could words justify how she felt when she couldn't explain them? They would either come out all wrong or come out just decently. What she needed was a 'perfect' or 'just right.'

_Kate, I'm sorry, but… I'm not. I'm sorry that I pushed you away, but as for almost kissing you… I miss you._

No. Beth sighed. That sounded sleazy and unforgiving. How was she supposed to sound gentle and honest? She wanted Kate to understand her, _not_ shun her.

_I miss you, Katie. I hope I can see you again really soon. Are we okay?_

Oh, _God_, no. That sounded absolutely desperate. Besides, they weren't even dating. They were best friends. Beth wrinkled her nose.

As she began to lightly press the keys with her thumbs, she hoped that luck was shining on her in that moment. She wanted her words to mend things. She wanted her sweet Katie Spencer back.

Suddenly, Beth stopped texting. This wasn't right. She needed to call her. Texting her was the easy way out. It was cheap and uncaring.

Beth pursed her lips into another frown. It hadn't occurred to Beth just how much she missed Kate, given that they had barely spoken all day. She missed her voice, her laugh, her audible smiles as they talked.

Pulling her legs closer to her chest, she stared at her phone. She was going to call her. They needed to talk. This whole thing needed to just blow over, and that wasn't about to happen unless one of them caved. Beth was going to be the first to take the plunge.

"Kate?" Beth whispered softly into the receiver of the phone. "Sweetie, I'm _so_ sorry we haven't talked all day."

Beth's lips curved into a fragile and tender smile as she heard her best friend's voice on the other end of the line. She almost felt like crying. It was incredible to hear Kate's sweet and soft giggle again.

"I know," Beth continued. "I'm sorry. I want to clear all of this up," she told her genuinely, her voice lowering to its natural and soothing coo. "Can I please see you again? I miss you."

An immediate and larger smile swept across Beth's features at Kate's response. She sounded just as eager and thrilled to see her again as Beth did. It was such a relief to hear her this way.

"I can't wait to see you, Katie," Beth told her sweetly, breathing a sigh of reprieve. "How about we meet for breakfast tomorrow? I'll take you out."

Beth's face paled suddenly.

"Tonight? Kate, _no way_," she tried to laugh it off. "It'll be ten-thirty by the time you get here, honey. It's dangerous. I don't want you to be scared."

Beth couldn't believe what she was hearing. Kate sounded so determined. She was entirely set on getting here as soon as possible.

"No," Beth shook her head. "I want to see you, too; believe me. More than anything."

Glancing around the darkened lobby, Beth's heart began to contort with anxiety and fear. How was she supposed to explain her current situation to Kate, anyway? She bit her lip apprehensively.

Her pull to Kate was too strong. Kate's conclusive voice meant too much to her. In all honesty, all Beth wanted was to see Kate now. She needed that blissful and uncomplicated reassurance that came packaged in Kate's beautiful smile.

"I really wish you wouldn't," the brunette chuckled uneasily. Then, out of nowhere, Beth had somewhat of an epiphany. All of this would just melt away, if she just went to Kate herself. She wouldn't have to explain why she was out in this dirty lobby, and she would have a place to stay.

Their awkwardness would dissolve quickly, knowing them. They would talk about what happened, and everything would be well again. She would have her best friend back.

"Kate!" Beth called suddenly. "Wait. Can I come over instead?"

At Kate's crestfallen reply, Beth hastily explained herself.

"I could spend the night," cooed Beth, with a grin. "Of course… only if you'll have me."

Kate's sway in mood was quick and decisive. Beth was happy to know that she agreed to her idea.

"I missed being over there with you," Beth confessed fondly. "We can talk, sweetie. We'll get everything figured out."

Once Kate concurred, Beth nodded to herself and rose to her feet.

"I hope you've got some PJs I can borrow," Beth finished with a smile. "I'll be over there soon. Want me to pick up anything?"

When Kate replied with a friendly 'no,' Beth grinned.

"All right, a dozen roses it is!" she announced in a sing-song voice. "See you soon, sweetheart."

*** * ***

Beth had only made a brief stop at the grocery store to pick up a little something for Kate. It wasn't much, but she knew that Kate would enjoy it, even if it went against Beth's nature code.

As she pulled up to Kate's house, memories from the night before filled her head. She swallowed, but got out of her car, her fingertips wrapped daintily around the slender gift in her hand. Having seen a light flicker off in the front window, Beth knew that Kate must have been watching for her. As soon as Beth appeared on the sidewalk leading to Kate's front steps, the door creaked open, revealing Kate's gorgeous form.

Kate was dressed in cute, slack pajama pants with a white tank top. Beth's cheeks flushed with color as she found herself gazing upon her best friend with eyes of admiration. She looked beautiful; Beth was beside herself.

Approaching her best friend, Beth smiled as she extended her hand to Kate which held a single, white lily.

"It goes against my belief that plants shouldn't be taken from the ground, but…" Beth smiled adoringly as a wide-eyed Kate received the pretty flower. "I would do anything for you, Kate."

In that single moment, Beth experienced a rush of an overwhelmingly warm and comforting feeling. This sentiment occurred just before (and then significantly intensified) as Kate wrapped her arms around Beth in appreciation—in silent forgiveness. Beth's lips formed the most delicate of smiles as her hands wound their way around the small of Kate's back in return.

This felt like home to her.


	9. Imagine What the World Could Be

**I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be back in business with this story. It is still my brainchild; I'm obsessed with writing it, completely. I apologize for the delays! This year is extremely hectic and exciting. Throw your appreciation and thanks for the update to writergirl2003. As always, she offers me such limitless support, love, and inspiration. Thank you so much for pushing me to do what I do, honey! I love you all the more for your amazing encouragement and beautiful love.**

**Without further ado, my faithful readers, here is chapter nine. :)**

* * *

As she twirled the stem of the lily between her fingers, Kate couldn't help but smile at Beth. Despite the exhaustion that lingered in Beth's pretty green eyes, the blonde thought her friend was positively glowing. Kate paused just before her steps to look at Beth.

"Hey," Kate murmured, smiling. "I want to put this in water. I laid your favorite pajamas out on my bed."

Beth snickered and wiggled her eyebrows playfully at Kate.

"The rainbow kitties? Kate, you're a doll," Beth laughed and began to ascend the stairs. "Don't keep me waiting too long, gorgeous."

Kate pursed her lips tightly together as Beth issued a teasing wink. Nodding to the other girl, Kate started toward her kitchen. There was no need to be quiet tonight, as Lori was still out late with God-knows-who.

Carefully placing her lily on the kitchen counter, Kate found herself staring adoringly at the lovely flower. Her heart thumped rapidly with joy as she pictured Beth going out of her way to visit the grocery store and specifically select that single flower for her. It was beautifully simplistic. Truly, it meant more to Kate than she could ever possibly convey to Beth.

Beth had no need to apologize, Kate reminded herself, as she began to rinse out a slim, slightly dusty vase. In all honesty, the blonde had never been mad at her friend in the first place. That kiss… or whatever it was surely wasn't Beth's fault. Beth was her best friend. It had just been a mistake or an accident.

Blissful in her ignorance, Kate left the situation at that—at least, while Beth was around. She couldn't allow her mind to wander so freely again. She worried for a repeat of the other night. The last thing that Kate wanted was for things to get complex.

Already she doubted and questioned herself. Kate didn't want to do that while Beth was around. She didn't want the other girl to witness just how utterly confused she felt and looked.

Once she had filled the clear vase with water and placed the lily daintily inside of it, Kate gingerly took it in her hands and started up the stairs to her room.

Assuming that Beth would have already finished changing, she rapped lightly on the door before simply permitting herself inside. True to form, Beth was just slipping Kate's tank top over her head. For a brief moment, Kate was treated to a fine view of the perfect dip and curve of Beth's flawless back. Swallowing hard, she set the vase on her nearby dresser.

As soon as she heard the noise, Beth whipped around, grinning ear-to-ear.

"Hey, Katie!" Beth crooned, her eyes shining. "God, I love these PJs," she told her friend, doing a playful, little spin. "They're so comfy!"

Kate was smiling much brighter than she realized as she stepped inside and shut her bedroom door behind her with a light 'click.'

"Good," Kate decided, her gaze washing over Beth with such gentleness and observation. "I'm just glad they were clean," she giggled. "I didn't want you to sleep here without your favorite ones!"

"I would have been okay," Beth admitted with a furtive smile. "Commando isn't so bad, Kate," she winked. "You should try it someday."

Kate merely laughed and crashed back onto her bed with a content, yet heavy sigh.

"I'll take your word for it," Kate ventured, kicking her legs against the bed rhythmically.

"I mean it," Beth insisted, sitting down beside her.

For a split second, Kate thought she felt concern and curiosity ebbing off her friend. It made sense, she reasoned. After all, they still had much to talk about.

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" the brunette asked, lying down beside Kate. With a smile, Kate took comfort in their relaxed closeness.

"Nothing," Kate shook her head. "I was just thinking."

"What about?"

That was a good question. Kate's thoughts were so ridiculously jumbled together at times that she, too, wondered just what her mind was trying to express.

"Uhm," the sound slipped from Kate's mouth clumsily. "No, I just—" There was another pause. "How are you, Beth? Is everything okay?"

There was a definite silence. Kate glanced at the brunette inquisitively out of the sides of her eyes. It was unlike Beth to remain quiet for any amount of time, much less when she appeared so bubbly and content.

"I'm fine, Kate," Beth assured her as she turned on her side to face her friend. When she was met with a doubtful look from Kate, she continued to soothe her. "Promise."

"You just seem really tired," Kate noted, her eyes blinking worriedly. "Have you not been sleeping?"

Beth sighed. _Oh, no_, Kate mused to herself. Something was obviously wrong.

"It's not a big deal," Beth maintained, curling one of her legs up comfortably beneath her as she continued to lie on her side, facing Kate. "My sister's asshole boyfriend has just been saying with her… us."

Kate narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Is that… is that bad?" she asked, bewildered.

Beth appeared to be biting the inside of her cheek. Kate's interest suddenly doubled.

"I just really can't stand that creep, Kate," Beth replied, her tone neutral. "That's all."

In clear understanding, Kate nodded. She could definitely relate; although, she wasn't about to belittle Beth's situation. In a sense, Kate envied Beth once again. While Kate was plagued with many Skip's and men that she detested, Beth only seemed to be cursed with one. Yet, one was more than enough to spoil something.

"I understand," Kate ensured her. "Believe me."

Beth's lips curled into a smile again. It wasn't long before a small giggle surfaced, also.

"I bet you do, stud," Beth prodded Kate gently on the nose with her fingertip.

"Not like that!" Kate laughed, rolling onto her back yet again.

Kate's mind was plagued with thoughts. She wanted to speak candidly to Beth, as she always did, but uncertainty held her back. There was something on her mind that she wanted to tell Beth, yet she was afraid.

"Hey," Kate spoke suddenly, surprising herself.

Blinking her eyes curiously, Beth craned her neck to look at her friend.

"What's up?" she asked, curling her hand beneath her head.

"I don't know," the blonde replied, licking her lips nervously. How was she supposed to bring this up, anyway?

_Hey, Beth! I'm not so sure I'm really straight. Can you help me?_

No. The very thought scared the life right out of her. To think that she was even about to talk about this with Beth made her incessantly anxious and unsure of herself. Maybe she should just keep it to herself. Then again, that reasoning would only reward her with more anxiety.

"Katie?" Beth said, after a moment, her eyes narrowed with concern.

"Uhm."

Her hesitation was persistent. Her heart was beating more rapidly than ever, and this time it wasn't because of her feelings.

"Beth," Kate's voice was tiny and meek. "I'm just… I don't know. I guess it kind of scares me that I didn't feel anything for that boy. I've never felt anything for _any_ boy."

Beth blinked and sat up right. Crossing her legs beneath her, she curled her hands in her own lap before studying Kate again.

"Yeah?" she prompted with a smile. "What are you so 'scared' about, Kate?"

Kate's throat tightened.

"I don't… think…" the blonde was having obvious trouble articulating what she was feeling. After all, she felt completely blown away by her own revelation.

Beth, however, was looking on with curious and gentle eyes. While Kate typically felt soothed by Beth's gorgeous and passive green eyes, now she was overtaken by anxiety.

"I don't think I like boys."

The words fell out of Kate's mouth in the most rushed and haphazard of ways. It was almost as though she hadn't even said them at all. In all honesty, Kate certainly wished that was the case.

Beth's reaction was more than just a little surprising to Kate. In fact, it was leaning more toward absolutely mind-blowing. There was scarcely a change in her best friend's expression. She looked almost entirely unfazed. Had Beth known her dirty, little secret? Surely she didn't. Kate had barely known herself.

"Why?"

That was it. Beth said nothing more. Part of Kate wished that the other girl would investigate her thoroughly, if only because Kate herself wanted to know how she came to this conclusion. It had come out of nowhere.

"Well, I… I don't really know," Kate offered, shrugging.

"That's okay," Beth reassured her with a smile.

Kate's eyebrows furrowed sadly. This wasn't what she wanted! Beth was supposed to dig deeper than this.

"You okay?" Beth asked, catching Kate's inward concern.

"Yeah," Kate insisted plainly. She barely noted a twinkle in Beth's eyes.

The brown-haired girl reached over and twirled a bit of Kate's pretty, blond hair between her fingertips before giggling. A slight, albeit pleasant burning sensation surged within Kate's lower belly.

"Why do you think you feel that way?" Beth wondered, her sweet and caring eyes sharing a gentle gaze with Kate.

_How to start_, Kate mused to herself.

"Well, I mean... when I thought about the future, I couldn't ever picture myself with a man, you know?" Kate ventured somewhat awkwardly. "It just… I didn't like it, and I couldn't see it. It just… didn't fit with me, you… know?"

Kate felt as though she was babbling at this point; however, by the glimmer of intense interest in her friend's eyes, she supposed she was on the right track.

"Sounds familiar," Beth noted, giggling soon after.

Kate just blinked up at her in confusion.

"What?"

The blonde tried to place the emotion that sparked in Beth's eyes as she tossed her something resembling a knowing look.

"Kate, I think I know your 'problem,'" Beth claimed, licking her lips. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, with Kate quickly following suit.

"Really?" Kate asked, her voice barely a squeak. Thank God! Maybe now she wouldn't have to explain everything word for word.

"Mmhmm," hummed Beth, as she tapped her fingers on her knee. "I just don't think _you_ do."

_Uhm._ In Kate's mind, she began to panic. Didn't know her own problem? That was absolutely ridiculous! She did know. At least, she thought she knew.

"I—of course I know!" Kate blurted out thoughtlessly.

"Oh, yeah?" Beth prompted, blinking evenly at her. "What's goin' on, then, Katie-babe?"

Kate's insides turned to mush. The sweet-talking names were going to be the death of her; of this she was absolutely certain. Without even realizing it, Beth was killing her slowly.

"I'm… just not interested in boys."

"And that is…?"

"…being not interested in boys."

"Not being interested in anyone?"

"No."

"Yeah?"

Beth's eyes narrowed curiously, while Kate fastened a look of unconscious defiance on her face. It was Beth who spoke next.

"Who?"

"Not… boys."

"Kate."

"Beth…?"

With a heavy sigh, Beth canted her head to the side. Kate watched with inner peril as her gorgeous locks of brown hair tumbled beautifully and clumsily across her perfect face. The blonde's focus was faltering.

"I said, 'who.'"

There was Beth again.

"Uh…"

"C'mon, Katie," Beth egged her on like a football coach. "We're getting there."

"No."

"What?"

"I don't know!"

Kate could tell that Beth was trying so desperately not to laugh. Her dimples were tighter and deeper than usual, and there was a certain, amusing strain about her face.

"Kate," urged Beth. "Come on," this time Beth took Kate's hands in hers. Kate nearly tripped all over herself. She had held Beth's hands countless times before, but now it was different. She felt as though she was about to keel over with emotion. "You can say it."

"Say what?"

"You know what, Kate Emily Spencer."

"No, I don't!"

"You're scared."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Beth!"

"Kate!"

Kate should have just told Beth to give up, that she would never get this out of her, but she wasn't having far too much fun, unbeknownst to herself. The look on Beth's face, that pure and flawless happiness—she didn't want to give that up just yet. She wanted to savor it for as long as she possibly could.

It happened in slow motion. One moment, Beth's eyes were gleaming with amusement, and then, the next, she had doubled over with laughter. Kate grinned. Her laugh was sweet, genuine, and ethereal. Her voice rose in pitch before her lungs gave way to the good-humored lack of oxygen.

The brunette's cheeks turned red with the effort of her strong cackles, and Kate suddenly and curiously wondered if she was all right.

"Beth?" she ventured, her heart pounding with emotion as she watched her best friend with doting eyes. Her laugh was addictive; it was so _Beth_.

Beth's teeth turned to lips white with how hard she bit down. Shaking her head, she twitched fingers, letting Kate know that she was all right. Kate blinked, feeling a small laugh of her own building in the depths of her stomach.

"Oh," sighed Beth, after a moment of blinking away her laughter-induced tears. "I don't know what the hell that was about."

Kate smirked somewhat. There was a certain satisfaction that came with making Beth laugh so candidly.

"You have a cute laugh."

The words fell out of Kate's mouth with little remorse. Beth only offered her a playful grin.

"Yeah?" Beth rolled her eyes teasingly, but Kate could just barely trace a hint of a blush on her already-rosy cheeks. "Well, I'm glad someone likes it."

Kate licked her lips and nodded. Suddenly, a thought struck Kate, as sharp as a knife in her belly. _Riley._ Earlier she had reasoned that agreeing to hang out with her wouldn't both Beth, but… surely it wouldn't hurt to mention it.

"What's up?" Beth asked abruptly, one of her eyebrows rising. "I know that look. It's the 'uh oh, Beth, I feel guilty and need your approval' look."

The emotion that followed on Kate's face was essentially unrecognizable. She chose to cap it off with a laugh, however.

"How'd you know?" the blonde wondered in playful defense.

Beth shrugged, giving nothing away. Kate envied her poise. Book-smarts had nothing to do with the way that Beth presented herself and her emotions. She was as sly as a fox when it came to that.

"I read you well… _too well_, if you ask me."

"Yeah, that's for sure," Kate commented, licking her lips out of nervousness again.

"Anyway," Beth continued. "What's going on?"

"Well… I was at the grocery store today," Kate started to say, her eyes trailing patterns along the carpet. "and I sort of ran into Riley."

Kate watched as Beth's expression didn't change whatsoever. Had she been wrong to even bring this up? Was it really necessary? Regardless, it was too late now.

Laughing, Beth looked at Kate strangely.

"Okay… and Riley's suddenly worth a news report, because…?"

"Actually, she kind of… approached me."

Again, Beth's expression stayed the same. Not even her eyes—the most expressive part of her—betrayed her.

"Kate," Beth's eyelashes fluttered in confusion. "You don't have to tell me this. Just because she's my ex-girlfriend, doesn't mean you can't talk to her. Goodness."

"She wants to be my friend."

There it was. A single flicker in Beth's eyes was enough for Kate. So, she had noticed! Kate's mind was racing. Why did she almost feel _good_ about that?

"So," Beth replied, a bit tartly. "Everyone deserves friends."

"Do you…"

Kate stopped. What was she supposed to say? 'Do you not want me to be her friend'? Beth would just tell her that it wasn't her business telling Kate how to live her life.

"I just… it's weird."

"It shouldn't be," Beth told Kate, her voice more brittle than it had been before. "Riley is just another girl to you."

Kate's mouth dropped open slightly, as her heart wrenched. That had hurt. Surely Beth felt more attached to her than that, after all this time. Now Kate was certain: bring that up had been a mistake. By the darkening shadows in Beth's eyes, she could tell that this much was true.

"Yeah," Kate remarked sorely, her eyes on the floor once again.

"Did she say anything to you?" Beth asked guardedly, her eyes suddenly flashing with realization of the magnitude of what she had just said. Kate, too, was shocked.

"What… what do you mean?" Kate stuttered in confusion, her eyebrows lowering.

As though she were embarrassed by her own meager outburst, Beth shook her head.

"I'm sorry, honey," Beth said quietly, lifting her right hand to gently reach out and touch Kate's knee affectionately. "It's just… it's been a really long day. I'm just a little… well, you know."

It was only by the return of Beth's sweet smile that Kate felt herself beginning to relax once more.

"Heh," Kate bit her lower lip lightly. "Yes. As… long as you're sure you're okay, Beth."

In a single moment, the insistent pull lingering at the bottom of her stomach was almost too much for Kate. Her thoughts and being were abruptly overcome by the mere presence of Beth. She felt overwhelmed and overheated; her body nearly broke into a cold sweat.

"Mmhmm," Beth cooed promisingly as she sat up beside Kate and draped her arm around her friend. "You know, it seems like forever since we've really talked."

Kate would have been too consumed by the intensity of Beth's touch to breathe had breathing not been a reflex. Her breath sucked in rapidly before she could even get a chance to conjure up some sort of appropriate reply.

"We talk all the time," Kate told her, giggling, her face flushed. The blue-eyed blonde could not even begin to extrapolate the feeling of ill-fated discovery that she felt as Beth's eyebrows knitted in what Kate perceived as secret awareness.

"I mean _really_ talk, Kate," Beth told her as she slipped off the bed and onto her behind. She now sat on the floor against Kate's bed with her head tilted back slightly to peer up at Kate.

"Oh, yeah… that," replied Kate, her mind drifting elsewhere. To accommodate Beth's sudden movement, Kate also shifted over on her bed to where she could freely play with Beth's hair. There was no sense in asking for permission; this was a practice they had partaken in many times before.

"Do you ever wonder who your soul mate is? What they're like?"

The question was posed by Beth, and it left Kate's mind racing. When Kate didn't reply, Beth marched on with her endeavors.

"I think about it sometimes."

The information was offered humbly, and Kate found herself hanging on every word, no matter how simple.

"I wonder if she'll be, like… _completely_ different from me or what we'll have in common…"

Kate's thoughts clung to Beth's musings.

_We're fairly different_, Kate realized she was thinking, _but we have a lot of things in common, too. Beth… your hair is so beautiful. I-_

"…what she'll look like, though that doesn't really matter…"

_You say I'm beautiful. Do you really mean it how you say it? I've heard that you call a lot of your friends that, or… is that just me being paranoid? What you think means so much to me, Beth._

"…when we'll meet. Hell, maybe I've already met her!"

_What if… what if you already have? What if it's…?_

"…but I don't know, Katie." Pause. "Maybe I'm too young to be thinking about love and stuff."

"No, I don't think so." _Oh. Was that out loud?_ Kate's face flushed as she continued to comb her fingers through Beth's silky, dark brown hair.

"Yeah?" Beth was grinning widely. "Maybe," she shrugged. "I guess I am a pretty big believer that love hits you when you least expect it to."

"Me too." Kate's reply was produced from an almost dreamlike state. She felt so far away from her own body as though she was on a cloud.

"That's cool." Beth continued with a satisfied sigh. Her eyes were closed, Kate noticed, as the blonde continued to gingerly and rhythmically brush her fingers through her friend's hair. The peaceful silence was short-lived, however.

"Have you ever been in love before, Katie?"

Kate's blood ran both steaming hot and freezing cold all at once. Her face was searing with white-hot emotion while her extremities were frostbitten with unbridled mental intentions. The question stabbed her mercilessly, assaulted her mind with murderous inquiries of her innermost feelings. Her blood pressure skyrocketed; her body grew taut.

"No." she swallowed the word with a silent gulp of air. She nearly choked on the sentiments that lay at the back of her tongue. Was Beth going to admit that she was? That she had been? Or… that she was currently? Kate could have driven herself into a full-blown anxiety attack if Beth hadn't answered a moment later.

"Me either," Beth confided in her soon after. "You know… I was thinking about my first 'love,' and I realized that… there was no way she could have been my soul mate. She could never love me back."

Kate's heartbeat was aroused with jealousy as Beth spoke of her past relationship. Though, she kept her mind off it by finishing off her French braid of one section of Beth's hair.

"I didn't love her. I loved the idea of her. To love someone, like… a soul mate, they've got to love you back, right? That, and… I wouldn't have done anything for her. I wouldn't have died for her, or… gone to the ends of the earth for her. I wanted love so badly that I let myself get hurt for no reason. I didn't even know her before we started 'dating.'"

Though she had not realized it, Kate's breath had quickened significantly while her mouth was slightly agape. Her heart and stomach both flipped simultaneously as she felt the most earth-shattering tug at her heartstrings. It was a force so powerful that she was nearly moved to tears. Her eyes burned with the undisclosed emotion.

They were more alike than Kate had previously realized.

"Does that sound totally weird?" Beth asked as she glanced up at Kate with childlike insecurities reflecting in her expressive eyes.

"No… no, not at all," Kate spoke genuinely, her eyes dim with affection. "Beth, that was really… beautiful."

"Huh?" Beth was smiling brightly and blushing jovially at Kate's unexpected compliment.

It was now Kate's turn to feel the unintended heat of embarrassment.

"I-I just… I… you… when you really…" Kate swallowed out of nervous habit and took a deep breath. "You have a really… graceful way of speaking, Beth."

"Nah," Beth swatted her hand facetiously at the air. "I was just… telling you how I felt."

"Well, your words _and_ your feelings are very beautiful," Kate told her, gaining a bout of confidence out of nowhere. The new rosy tint to Beth's cheeks encouraged her to continue onward. "You are so much more intelligent and deep than you think, Beth. I mean it… You are _the most_ intelligent person I have ever met—no matter what you say."

"Kate…" Beth's eyes were narrow with such gentle and revering passion as she reached up to take one of Kate's that rested on her own head. "You know you don't have to say all of that, baby."

_Oh…_

A swirl of newfound sentiments whipped through Kate as strongly as a late summer hurricane, yet with the tenderness of the most meaningful embrace of two young lovers. Her breath was robbed of her; her stare was hollow with delight.

Such pleasure coursed through her veins, such inexplicable adoration, she surely must be on the highest cloud of the most perfect, fictitious Eden. Her entire body was riddled with warmth. Never had she known such worldly happiness existed. Why must this moment _ever_ have to end?

"I needed to." Kate's mouth willed her to speak at long last.

"Needed to?" Beth seemed to understand the magnitude of her best friend's intentions, if only for a single moment. "Kate, you make me _so_ happy—" she said softly as she turned to face the other girl. "—happier than I could ever tell you. Really."

Kate could only watch as Beth reached out and affectionately brushed her blond hair from her eyes.

"I'm so lucky to have you," Beth divulged to her evocatively. "Come here." Her voice was so pleasantly soft and inviting. Kate hesitated briefly as she watched Beth pat the place beside her. It was only another second, however, before she was on the floor next to Beth.

Smiling vibrantly, Beth slipped her arm around Kate and pulled her close. Kate was nearing a massive heart attack around the time that she found her own head lying delicately against Beth's shoulder.

With a quiet sigh, the brunette curled her fingertips against Kate's side unconsciously. Kate began to wonder if Beth could keep the severity of her heartbeat, given that Kate thought that she was very nearly about to faint from pleasurable shock. She was so close to accidental hyperventilation that it was not even the slightest bit funny.

"I'm… I'm so lucky to have _you_," Kate replied certainly, as she inadvertently inhaled the sweet, flowery scent of Beth's all-natural perfume. Oh, it was heavenly and sultry, powerful and tranquil, identifiable and mysterious. "Beth—" Her name caught in Kate's throat; Kate's belly was alive with butterflies.

"Hmmm?" Beth hummed.

Kate glanced up only to find that her friend's eyes were closed while a divine smile blessed her pretty pink lips.

"I'm really happy that you came over." It was all that Kate could think of to verbalize. It was horribly lame and out of place, but that did not very much matter.

"Me too, sweetie," Beth's eyes were open again. To Kate they appeared to be serene and vibrant, much like the meadows that Beth so passionately adored. "I missed you so much. Seeing you always makes me feel amazing."

The brunette's thought process seemed to only slow after this. Until now, she had been rather attentive, but from the moment that Kate spotted Beth's eyes closing, she knew that it was only a matter of time before her best friend was too tired to sanely function. It had been a long day, after all.

"God, I'm so damn tired. I feel crazy!" Beth giggled blithely as she licked her lips.

Kate pursed her lips and poked at Beth's side teasingly. Luckily, she had previously had the pleasure of seeing a sleep-deprived Beth several times before. She was always so irresistibly cute and absolutely loopy.

"Come on, sleepyhead. I'll get you into bed," Kate offered, as she snaked her arm around Beth and began to try to help her up.

"Glad we had this talk before I descended into madness!"

Kate laughed good-naturedly.

"What a smart thing for such a sleepy girl to say."

Beth made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat before she began to teeter Kate and her around clumsily.

"Let's just sleep on the floor," she insisted with a tired wink at Kate. "You can use me as your pillow, 'kay?"

"Are you sure you want to commit to that, Davis?" Kate quirked one of her eyebrows at her. "I'm a well-known kicker and shifter in the night."

"I know this," Beth yawned, leaning against Kate happily. "You kicked me in the jaw last time I was over here."

"I said I was sorry!" Kate was grinning like an unadulterated fool.

"Not sorry enough," Beth insisted lightheartedly as she rose to her feet clumsily, pulling Kate along with her. "I couldn't chew on that side of my mouth for two days."

"It doesn't take much to chew a salad, does it?"

"Kate Emily Spencer!" Beth howled in surprised humor as she shoved the other girl onto the bed. "That was low!" Kate was pleased when she saw that sleepy Beth was holding in a serious bout of laughter.

"I just wanted to test how awake you were," Kate asserted with a definite nod.

"And?"

"You're awake."

Beth smacked Kate on the behind playfully, causing the other girl to shriek and giggle in response.

"If I was more awake, I'd royally kick your ass."

"My house, Beth Davis—if I want you out," Kate squinted one of her eyes shut for emphasis. "—you're outta here!"

"You wouldn't!"

Kate pulled Beth onto the bed with her, and, for a moment, the two girls wrestled playfully.

"Uh huh. Wanna place a bet on that?" Kate slurred, mimicking Beth's tired appearance. "It's time for bed."

"I'm not two!" Beth argued humorously as she whacked Kate with one of her pillows gently. "I'll go to bed when I'm good and ready."

"You're ready," Kate breathed a soft giggle. "Trust me."

Aside from a huff of protest, Beth kicked back Kate's blue comforter and slipped beneath the covers on her usual side of the bed. Kate was watching her with a sheer look of admiration. Her ears and face were both hot with delight that they would be able to share her bed again tonight. The mere notion of being allowed to even be in the same room—much less bed—with Beth was such beautiful prospect.

"Comfy?" Kate asked, after she had carefully peeled back her own side of the covers and climbed in beside the other girl.

Upon issuing a hearty yawn, Beth replied with a murmur of acknowledgment. She was completely exhausted; Kate could very easily tell. With the lights already off and the fan going, Kate, too, allowed herself to get comfortable.

"Goodnight, Beth," she whispered tenderly.

"'Night, Katie," Beth hummed sleepily in return, her hand briefly reaching over to give Kate's leg a teasing squeeze.

Overcome with endless amounts of positive sentiments, Kate realized that she herself was smiling so brightly. As she gripped at the covers, she wondered how she could possibly sleep when she felt so incredible, so at peace, so full of indescribably perfect and fulfilling emotions. Her heart was still thumping adamantly in her chest.

The feelings that surged so strongly within her both frightened and thrilled her all at once. It was difficult to continue this game of lying to herself. These feelings… they were not associated with feelings of friendly love or appreciation. The fluttering sensations of butterflies and warmth that rested at the bottom of her belly were not cohesive with friendship.

Kate's pale baby blue eyes carefully picked their path off to where Beth lay. Her chest rose and fell slowly and peacefully as she slept; truly, she had been very tired. The smile on Kate's lips deepened, wrinkling her cheeks ever so slightly. This was perfect.

In her heart, Kate knew the truth. As terrified as her mind convinced her to be, her soul felt at peace at last. It was up to time when and if she would be able to face these feelings and the truth head on with full assurance.

As she turned over onto her side, her senses overtaken with the overpowering company of Beth's beautifully sleeping form, she continued to entertain her lips' genuine smile. The absence of physical closeness between them was too strong, too painful, Kate recognized daringly.

With a dash of courage, she leisurely urged herself over, closer to Beth, until she was nearly pressed against the elegant arch of her back. Her mind and heart were racing. Beth's incommunicably delightful scent enveloped her with warmth and affection. Closing her, Kate surely thought she was in her own personal heaven.

Sleep came easily to her swiftly beating heart, for she felt such tranquility and warmth within her soul that she hadn't felt in all of her seventeen years of living.

This was it.


End file.
